Aussie model facing 21 years behind bars for alleged flight attendant assault
Miss Australia finalist Adau Akui Atem Mornyang could spend 21 years in an American prison after being found guilty for assaulting a United Airlines flight attendant.
The Australian model is facing jail time after drunkenly attacking cabin crew on her United Airlines flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles, 9 news report.
Twenty-four-year-old Mornyang allegedly assaulted flight attendants after being denied alcohol, in an incident that an air marshal described as “the most severe he has encountered in his ten years” on the job, the Herald reports.
Mornyang has been found guilty by a US court and will now be sentenced in June. She denies the attack and has described her arrest as “an ordeal”.
Mornyang, who was en route to New York, said all she remembered was “waking up after sleeping for eight hours”. She claimed to have had two glasses of wine with prescription drugs before going to sleep.
The US Department of Justice said in a press release Mornyang was found guilty of a felony charge of interference with a flight crew and a misdemeanour assault count.
“According to the evidence presented at trial, several hours into the flight, passengers approached a flight attendant to complain about Mornyang’s disruptive behaviour, which included flailing her arms and yelling obscenities and racial slurs,” the press release said.
“When the flight attendant approached to assess the situation, Mornyang began to shout at the flight attendant and then slapped him across his face. The flight attendant attempted to restrain Mornyang until federal air marshals could assist.
“The federal air marshals were forced to stay with Mornyang in the rear galley of the plane for the remainder of the flight.”
Mornyang was born in South Sudan and moved to Australia when she was 10-years-old as a refugee. She has spoken out against racial tension in parts of Melbourne.
She recently modelled at New York Fashion Week and was a Miss World Australia Finalist.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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