A former Indian-origin British Airways cabin crew manager, Amardip Dhariwal, has been convicted of sexually assaulting a female colleague in the UK, highlighting the serious consequences of workplace misconduct and the pursuit of justice for victims.
Key Points
- Indian-origin former British Airways manager Amardip Dhariwal convicted of sexual assault.
- Dhariwal found guilty of assaulting a female colleague at his Berkshire home.
- The conviction followed a retrial after a previous hung jury.
- Two other women provided "bad character evidence" regarding alleged assaults in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
- Sentencing for the former BA cabin crew lead is scheduled for October 29.
A 55-year-old Indian-origin British Airways cabin crew manager has been convicted of sexually assaulting a female colleague at his home in Berkshire, south-east England.
Amardip 'Amo' Dhariwal was found guilty of one count of sexual assault at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday following a nine-day trial.
Thames Valley Police said the former flight manager has been released on strict conditional court bail and is due to be sentenced at the same court on October 29.
Victim's Courage Commended By Police
"I would like to commend the courage of the victim in coming forward to report this offence and for remaining engaged throughout the investigation and court process," said investigating officer Detective Constable Clare Hickman.
"I also commend the strength and integrity of the two other women who supported this case by providing bad character evidence in the interests of justice, not only for themselves but for one another. All three women have shown remarkable resilience, courage, and dignity throughout.
"I hope this conviction provides them with a sense of justice and supports them as they continue to move forward with their lives," she said.
Details Of The Assault And Investigation
An 11-member jury unanimously concluded that Dhariwal was guilty of the crime dating back over four years after a previous trial in May last year ended in a hung jury, leading to the retrial this week.
In May 2022, Dhariwal, who worked for British Airways as an in-flight cabin crew lead at the time, invited a colleague, a woman in her twenties, to his home in Bracknell, the court was told.
After spending the evening socialising together, the victim fell asleep on the sofa and awoke the following morning to find that Dhariwal was "sexually touching her without her consent".
"Fearing how Dhariwal might react if confronted, the victim did not alert him that she was awake during the assault," the police stated.
"When Dhariwal stopped and went upstairs, the victim fled the house, calling a friend for help, before reporting the crime to the police. Dhariwal was charged by postal requisition on May 9, 2024," they said.
Jurisdiction Challenges And Bad Character Evidence
Dhariwal was also charged with two counts of rape and two further counts of sexual assault relating to offences against two other female British Airways cabin crew members in Singapore in 2020 and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2018.
However, these charges were later discontinued as the UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) did not have jurisdiction to prosecute offences alleged to have taken place outside of England and Wales.
Nevertheless, the two women were heard during the trial as "bad character evidence" which the jury was entitled to consider when assessing Dhariwal's propensity to commit the sexual offence, the police noted.
Now the former BA cabin crew lead, who claimed the encounters were "consensual", faces years behind bars under the UK sentencing guidelines.
