Saturday, February 7, 2026 - A man who tried to r@pe a woman while on board an easyJet flight between Italy and Britain has been sentenced to six years behind bars.
Nicola Cristiano, 45, carried out the sexual assault on a
late evening flight on May 13, 2025, after he moved seats to be next to the
victim.
The Italian national repeatedly grabbed the woman by the
hand and neck in a bid to force her to touch his exposed crotch.
His semen was later found on her cheek and lip following the
incident on the flight from Naples to Edinburgh.
The father-of-two, who had been travelling to Scotland on a
work trip, also attempted to kiss his victim and grope her breast and body.
After Cristiano moved to another part of the plane, the
women alerted the cabin crew to the incident, and he was arrested after the
aircraft landed.
Following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh last month,
he was found guilty of attempted r@pe.
Jim Stephenson, defending, previously told the court that
the 45-year-old accepted the woman said 'no' repeatedly and that 'he did take
her hand and place it on his penis.'
'However Mr Cristiano still maintains his innocence in
relation to the most serious parts of the charge,' he added.
Judge Alison Stirling sentenced him to six years behind bars
after which he would be deported to Italy where he would be subjected to
notification requirements for an 'indefinite period of time'
Referring to the victim statement, the judge said the
ass@ult had 'left a lasting effect on [the woman's] sense of safety and
control'.
'She doesn't feel comfortable flying and travelling alone
any more,' she told Cristiano. 'She had planned another holiday this year but
she doesn't want to go on it any more.'
And although she had been surrounded by other people, she
felt alone during the ordeal, which has been 'especially damaging' for the
victim, Ms Stirling added.
'She thinks this will always have a lasting effect on her.'
The judge also noted from a criminal justice social work
report that Cristiano had not accepted the guilty verdict.
'Custody is the only appropriate sentence with regard to the
serious nature of the offending,' she added.
'The reasons for the sentence include punishment, expressing
society's concerns about and disapproval of your offending, protection of the
public, and rehabilitation in custody.'
Speaking following Cristiano's conviction last month,
Detective Chief Inspector Steph Garnett, from Police Scotland's public
protection unit, said: 'Cristiano will now face the consequences of his
despicable actions and I hope this brings comfort to his victim.
'He deliberately approached a woman travelling alone on a
flight and s£xually ass@ulted her.
'Fortunately she had an opportunity to alert a member of the
cabin crew and she was taken to another part of the plane where she was safe.
'I also hope this conviction gives confidence to anyone who
is the victim of s£xual crime to come forward.
'We will thoroughly investigate reports made to us and we
have specially trained officers to provide support.
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