Birmingham woman in court for trying to sneak onto a flight at Gatwick Airport with an out of date passport

A woman from Birmingham who tried to sneak onto a flight at Gatwick Airport after she had been refused has been sentenced.

Mistura Alade, 45, was informed her passport was invalid as the expiry date was less than three months away - EU countries require passport holders to have at least three months left before expiry to allow them to travel. 

She had booked a flight from Gatwick to Milan with a girl who cannot be identified for legal reasons. But instead of rearranging their flight, Alade, from Aston, and the girl attempted to get on the plane after leaving the boarding area.

Sussex Police said the pair broke through a security door and emergency exit, setting off two alarms at Gatwick Airport before bundling over an airport worker on a staircase.

The worker fell heavily on a staircase leaving him injured and off work for several weeks. The pair then tried to board the wrong aircraft before being detained by police and security. Airport security and police officers arrived swiftly on the scene to arrest Alade and the girl within moments of the alarm being activated.

Alade, formerly a supermarket worker, appeared before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court where she was found guilty of assault by beating, and of entering a restricted area in breach of a conditional permission to enter, contrary to the Aviation Security Act.

She was sentenced to a one-year community order with a requirement to complete 40 hours of unpaid work and 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement sessions, as well as being ordered to pay £200 in compensation to the injured staff member.

The second passenger was also found guilty of the same offences. She was sentenced to a Youth Referral Order for four months and was ordered to pay £30 in compensation.

Speaking after the case, Detective Sergeant Ian Warncken from Gatwick CID said: “Alade was told that she would not be able to travel to Milan and was informed of where she could obtain help within the airport.

“She was removed from the passenger list as a result. But instead of seeking help, she instead attempted to sneak on board the aircraft, and refused to listen to staff members.

“Her reckless and selfish behaviour put herself in danger as well as other air passengers after she entered a restricted area of the airport, at one stage potentially attempting to board the wrong aircraft.

“She then claimed she did not know what she was doing was wrong, despite setting off two alarms. It is a reminder that it is every passenger’s responsibility to ensure that their passport is within date and valid for onward travel.”