Man denies sexually assaulting woman on flight

A 66-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a woman as she slept on a flight has told a court she was lying to trap him.

The woman, who was 24 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, told police she woke mid-flight to find Momade Jussub with his hand in her trousers.

Mr Jussub, of Feltham in West London, denies the charge and told the jury at Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday he was certain the woman was awake and consenting when he touched her.

He told the court the woman had "invited him" to "satisfy her" as they flew from Doha to Gatwick and was awake throughout.

Prosecutor Jonathan Atkinson said: "You repeatedly told police in your interview and the jury she had trapped you or led you into a trap."

Mr Jussub said: "I said 'trap' because she invited me to satisfy her.

"Then she makes a complaint. Why, I don't know. It's a trap."

Mr Atkinson asked him why a woman he had never met would make a false allegation against him.

Mr Jussub replied: "She's lying because she was not sleeping.

"I don't know why she did it."

He told the court he denied being attracted to the woman who is now aged 25.

Mr Jussub told the court the woman started caressing his hand and he "lost control".

"Then I regretted it," he added.

"I should not ever have accepted the invitation. I apologise for that," Mr Jussub said speaking via a Portuguese interpreter.

The court heard the woman said she tried to shove him off before reporting the alleged assault to cabin crew.

Mr Jussub, originally from Mozambique, denies assault by penetration and two sexual assaults on board the overnight Qatar Airways flight from 27 to 28 September last year.

The trial at Lewes Crown Court in Brighton continues.

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