British Airways cabin crew manager convicted of sexual assault

An Indian-origin British Airways cabin crew manager has been convicted of sexually assaulting a female colleague at his home in Berkshire after she woke to find him touching her without her consent.

Amardip “Amo” Dhariwal, 55, was found guilty of one count of sexual assault by penetration following a nine-day trial at Reading Crown Court. The incident took place at Dhariwal’s home in Bracknell in May 2022 after he and the woman had spent the evening socialising. She woke during the night to find Dhariwal touching her, according to Thames Valley Police.

The woman pretended to remain asleep because she was afraid of how he might react if she confronted him. After the assault ended, she left the property, contacted a friend and later reported the incident to police.

Dhariwal, who is from Southall, worked for British Airways as an in-flight cabin crew lead. He has been released on strict conditional court bail and will return to Reading Crown Court for sentencing on October 29.

Dhariwal had also faced two rape allegations involving two other women in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Those charges were dropped because the Crown Prosecution Service lacked jurisdiction to prosecute the alleged offences. Evidence from the two women was nevertheless heard during the trial as bad character evidence against Dhariwal.

Detective Constable Clare Hickman of Thames Valley Police praised all three women for their involvement in the case. She commended the main victim for coming forward and continuing to participate in the investigation and court proceedings, while also recognising the other two women for providing evidence. “All three women have shown remarkable resilience, courage and dignity throughout,” Hickman said. Dhariwal will remain on bail until his sentencing hearing.