MAN FOUND GUILTY OF TRYING TO RAPE WOMAN ON FLIGHT
A man has been convicted of attempting to sexually assault a woman from Scotland aboard an EasyJet flight.Nicola Cristiano, a 45-year-old Italian national, relocated his seat to sit beside the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, during the overnight flight from Naples to Edinburgh on the 13th of May.
The court was informed that Cristiano offered the woman, who was born in 1993 and hails from Aberdeenshire, wine.
Following this, he tried to manipulate her into touching his groin area and directed her head towards his exposed private parts.
Judge Alison Stirling ordered Cristiano to remain in custody and instructed that background reports be compiled before the sentencing hearing scheduled for 6 February at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Testimony was provided earlier by a fellow passenger and a cabin crew member during the proceedings at the High Court.
Forensic analysis revealed traces of Cristiano’s semen on the woman’s cheek.
Cristiano claimed that the woman had initially consented but then withdrew her agreement.
Nevertheless, the jury returned a guilty verdict through a non-unanimous decision.
Prosecutors argued that all actions were without the woman’s consent, a view supported by a witness seated behind them.
It was also revealed that Cristiano attempted to persuade the woman to accompany him to the toilet.
She stated she agreed to follow him into the cubicle but used the opportunity when he entered to inform the crew of the incident.
The cabin staff then barred him from leaving the restroom.
A crew member testified that the woman appeared visibly upset when she disclosed that she had been assaulted.
Cristiano acknowledged having sexual contact with her during questioning.
He said: "She provoked me.
She excited me." The judge told the jury: "This trial has been a difficult and anxious case." She said following the abolition of the not proven verdict in the Scottish legal system the jury was one of the first to return a verdict under the changed system.
She said: "I think you are participating in making history because today is the first day we are getting verdicts under our new system."
