Tories Demand Hermer Reviews “Shockingly Lenient” 15-Month Sentence for Passenger Who Threatened Air Stewardess – Guido Fawkes

Tories Demand Hermer Reviews “Shockingly Lenient” 15-Month Sentence for Passenger Who Threatened Air Stewardess

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Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has written to Attorney General Richard Hermer after a Virgin Atlantic passenger was sentenced to just 15 months for threatening to “gang rape and set fire” to a stewardess on a flight from Heathrow. Salman Iftikhar received a sentence less than half as long as Lucy Connolly’s 31 months, who was jailed over a now-deleted tweet…

Philp urged Hermer to refer Iftikhar’s case for review under the Unduly Lenient Scheme warning that if he doesn’t, “then this would be yet another example of two-tier justice under this Government.” Read Philp’s letter in full below:
Dear Lord Hermer,
I am writing concerning the sentence imposed by the Isleworth Crown Court on 5 August 2025 upon Salman Iftikhar who received a 15-month sentence for threatening and abusing an air stewardess, saying she would be dragged out of her hotel room, gang raped, and set on fire. The victim said she had to take 14 months off work as she was ‘traumatised by the threat of being gang raped.’ He was convicted racially motivated harassment and threats to kill.
It was reported that Iftikhar made 100 threats in eight hours to cabin crew on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow to Lahore. Along with threats to gang rape Ms Walsh, Iftikhar called Ms Walsh a ‘f***ing white Welsh c***. He also threatened to blow up the floor of the Avari Lahore Hotel, where the cabin crew were due to stay. Iftikhar shouted at Ms Walsh and said: ‘The white sheep sh***ing b**** will be dead. The floor of your hotel will be blown up and it will disappear.’ He told Ms Walsh: ‘You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang raped and set on fire.’
Salman Iftikhar has six previous convictions from 15 offences, including common assault in 2004 and drink driving in 2008. Iftikhar admitted making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment, in relation to the air hostess.
Despite this, Iftikhar only received a 15-month sentence, less than half of Lucy Connolly’s 31- month sentence (a prosecution which you authorised). Connolly made a wrong and distasteful social media post which she then deleted, but Iftikhar made over 100 sickening threats including of gang rape directly to Ms Walsh personally, face to face, and to other members of the cabin crew’s faces and has multiple previous convictions.
I am sure you agree that this cannot be right. Given the severity of the threats and the vile language used by Iftikhar, I believe his sentence should be reconsidered and increased and I urge you to refer his case for review under the Unduly Lenient Scheme, which covers the offences for which Iftikhar was convicted. If you decide not to refer his sentence for reconsideration, then this would be yet another example of two-tier justice under this Government.
Yours sincerely,
Rt Hon Chris Philp MP