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Ryanair racist says Im not a racist says man who racially abused passenger

October 26, 2018

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Plane passenger David Mesher has apologised to a black woman he verbally abused on a Ryanair plane, insisting that he is not racist.

Mr Mesher spoke to Good Morning Britain a day after being spoken to by police who are investigating the incident.

He called Delsie Gayle and ugly black bastard and told her not to speak to him in a foreign language while on a Ryanair plane in Spain.

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Still from handout video dated 19/10/18 of a passenger on Ryanair flight FR015 from Barcelona to London Stansted who launched a racist tirade against the woman in the seat next to him. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Sunday October 21, 2018. The man was filmed by a fellow passenger calling the elderly woman an "ugly black bastard", and shouting "don't talk to me in a foreign language you stupid ugly cow". See PA story AIR Racist. Photo credit should read: David Lawrence/PA Wire MANDATORY CREDIT: David Lawrence NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. — David Mesher, 70, was filmed calling Delsie Gayle 77, an ugly black bastard after they boarded a flight in Barcelona last week but was not removed from the plane (Picture: PA)

Mr Mesher said: Im not a racist person by any means and its just a fit of temper at the time, I think.

Speaking directly to Delsie, he said: I apologise for all the distress youve had there and since.
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Officers from West Midlands Police said they were assisting Essex Police, who are leading the investigation, when they attended the sheltered accommodation where Mr Mesher lives earlier this week.

The incident is believed to have taken place on Ryanair flight FR015 at Barcelona Airport on October 19, before it left for London Stansted.

Essex Police said on Wednesday: Essex Police was contacted on Sunday, October 21, about a racially-aggravated incident happening on a Ryanair plane while on the tarmac at Barcelona Airport.

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Police arrive at Chinn Brook House, Birmingham, where David Mesher lives. October 24, 2018. See SWNS story SWMDracist. A man who hurled racist abuse at an elderly black woman on a Ryanair flight has been named as David Mesher. Footage posted on social media shows him calling 77-year-old Delsie Gayle, who is disabled, an "ugly f****** c***" and an "ugly black b******". The incident is believed to have taken place on Ryanair flight FR015 at Barcelona Airport on 19 October, before it departed for London Stansted. The budget airline reported the matter to Essex Police after video of the rant was shared tens of thousands of times on Facebook. — Police officers visited the home of David Mesher in Birmingham (Picture: SWNS)

This incident took place on Friday, October 19. A video of which has been widely circulated on social media and covered by media both here and abroad.

Since the report was made to us, our officers have identified both parties involved and are progressing a number of inquiries.

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They added: 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.

Mr Mesher, who lives in a sheltered retirement housing block in Yardley Wood, Birmingham, declined to comment to reporters outside his home.

A spokeswoman for Optivo, which runs the sheltered accommodation, said: We do not condone abusive behaviour in any form.

Police at Chinn Brook House, Birmingham, where David Mesher lives. October 24, 2018. See SWNS story SWMDracist. A man who hurled racist abuse at an elderly black woman on a Ryanair flight has been named as David Mesher. Footage posted on social media shows him calling 77-year-old Delsie Gayle, who is disabled, an "ugly f****** c***" and an "ugly black b******". The incident is believed to have taken place on Ryanair flight FR015 at Barcelona Airport on 19 October, before it departed for London Stansted. The budget airline reported the matter to Essex Police after video of the rant was shared tens of thousands of times on Facebook. — Officeres from West Midlands Police are assisting Essex Police in their investigation (Picture: SWNS)

As this matter is now being handled by the police we are unable to make any further comment at this stage.

Two officers from the West Midlands force spent just under an hour at the housing block before leaving without Mr Mesher.

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When asked why officers had attended the premises, a spokeswoman for the West Midlands force said: West Midlands Police officers are assisting Essex Police who have the primary investigation.

Ms Gayle, who was subject to the abuse said she felt very low about the incident and it had discouraged her from flying with the low-cost airline in future.

She told ITV News: I feel really depressed about it. I go to bed and say: what have I done?

I havent done anything to attack him, its because of the colour of my skin I was abused like that.