A yob who threatened an air stewardess with gang rape on a Virgin Atlantic flight has two wives and business debts of £17million. Salman Iftikhar, 37, was in first class with one of his spouses and three children when he erupted at flight attendant Angie Walsh.
Iftikhar was arrested at his £900,000 home in Iver, Buckinghamshire, after returning from his visit to Pakistan. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment.
The father of three lived in a six-bedroom property with his wife, Erum Salman, 38. He had a fleet of luxury cars, including a Range Rover, Bentley and Rolls Royce.
Pictures posted on social media show Iftikhar posing in front of a royal blue Rolls with a white leather interior.
The recruitment tycoon’s social media suggests he lives a luxury lifestyle, but a failed business venture left him in debt to the tune of millions of pounds.
Iftikhar was the owner of an aviation recruitment firm which went into administration owing more than £11m to HMRC and £6.885m to HSBC.
Core Labour Supply Limited (CLSL) had seen a turnover of nearly £90m in 2022. Iftikhar drew dividends of almost £1m annually from 2018 to 2021.
But the business was hit by the Covid pandemic, seeing two of its largest clients departing.
A neighbour of Iftikhar’s, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Daily Mail: “He’s definitely very flash, someone who likes to flaunt his wealth.”
Iftikhar wept during his sentencing, where Recorder Annabel Darlow KC told him: “Your threats to kill were made in the presence of children, specifically your three young children.
“These were threats made with significant violence. Your children had to be comforted by cabin crew staff while you made those threats.”
Ms Darlow said the air stewardess was forced to give up a job she loved for 14 months, but has now returned to work.
She told the defendant: “You have a lengthy and appalling record of misconduct. You have not addressed the underlying cause of this for many years, that is your drug and alcohol problem.
“Given your lifestyle and your ability to earn money, your harm and risk has not moved. This was an appalling incident which has caused long lasting and devastating consequences.”