Ryanair ‘racism’ victim told to expect to give police statement
Delsie Gayle was verbally abused on a flight to London last week
A man who was filmed racially abusing an elderly woman on a Ryanair flight has been identified, police said.
Delsie Gayle, 77, who was called an “ugly black bastard” and told “don’t speak to me in a foreign language, you stupid ugly cow”, will now be able to give police a statement about the incident, her daughter said.
Footage of the abuse taken by a fellow passenger was captured on Ryanair flight FR015 at Barcelona Airport on October 19, before it left for London Stansted.
On Tuesday, Essex Police it had been contacted on Sunday about “a racially-aggravated incident happening on a Ryanair plane while on the tarmac at Barcelona Airport”.
“Since the report was made to us our officers have identified both parties involved and are progressing a number of enquiries,” the force said.
“There are agreed national protocols to follow when incidents are reported to have happened in another country. As such, we will be conducting an investigation to submit to the Spanish authorities in due course.”
Speaking on ITV’s This Morning on Tuesday, Mrs Gayle’s daughter Carol said police had advised her that “by Thursday they should be coming to mum for a statement”.
Mrs Gayle told presenters Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes said she was scared by the man’s behaviour on the plane, adding: “He was shouting – he went over and he said to the assistant ‘get this ugly black bastard away from me’. I didn’t say anything.”
She said he threatened to continue verbally abusing her, telling staff: ‘I do what I want to do. If you don’t move her, I’ll carry on’.
“I was so frightened.”
Mrs Gayle added: “I travel a lot, and I have never had this kind of reaction.
“I go to Canada, I go to Jamaica and never.”
Mrs Gayle’s daughter had arranged the trip in an attempt to cheer her mother up a year after she was widowed.
She said: “It’s coming up to a year of my dad’s death, so I thought I’d take my mum away just for a little mini-break.
“Mum was already feeling low because of Dad, and now with Ryanair it’s made her feel more depressed.”
