Hilary Diana Mackay, 54, appeared in court today to plead not guilty to assaulting the cabin crew on a flight from Johannesburg to Heathrow on December 12. 

Mackay claimed she wanted the ‘non-case’ thrown out because she was ‘practising judo sweeps,’ Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court heard.

She said: ‘I was practising judo sweeps so it wasn’t to target those three people.’

She pleaded not guilty to assaulting Lucey Downey, Leanne Palmer and Phillip Sumner on Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.  

Mackay, from Earl’s Court, London, also had a dressing down by a magistrate after repeatedly interrupting court proceedings.       

An international Finance and Project Manager, she has links to MPs, senior lawyers and accountants.     

Cabin crew on the flight had told her to she must pay an extra £50 charge for sitting in a seat with extra legroom. 

Prosecutor Ms Zara Khan explained: ‘Ms Leanne Palmer has said that: ‘At 10.30 my attention was drawn to a female passenger. The customer had her leg in the isle, looking like she was stretching.

‘She moved it in and then moved it out to deliberately trip me and I grabbed a headrest to break my fall. She made contact by my shin and I believe this was a deliberate attempt to trip me up.’

‘The next complainant Lucey Downey says: ‘A passenger was sitting in an extra legroom seat that costs fifty pounds.’

‘She says Ms Mackay was aggressive towards her and offensive and Ms Mackay stared at her and says she deliberately put her leg into the isle with: ‘Force and anger to trip me up and was successful and I tripped down the isle.’

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