Benefits-claiming father, 57, was tied up by cabin crew during an in-flight melt-down after being told to stub out his CIGARETTE

• Mohammed Rashid, 57, restrained with cable ties after 'mid-air rampage'
• He swore at staff after being asked to put out cigarette and had to be restrained
• Rashid then bit one flight attendant in the thigh and leg as they tackled him 
• The flight crew used cable ties to bind his arms and legs together on the plane
• He admitted three counts of common assault and will be sentenced later

Mohammed Rashid, 57, pictured, bit a flight attendant on the leg after a 'mid-air rampage' on board a flight from Dubai to Manchester when staff asked him to stop smoking

A father-of-four had to be tied up by cabin crew after biting a flight attendant when he was told to stop smoking on a plane. 

Mohammed Rashid, 57, was restrained after a mid-air rampage in front of his wife and family after being told to stub out his cigarette on the Manchester-bound flight.

After returning to his seat Rashid - who receives disability benefits - stumbled over a toddler before losing his temper and repeatedly swearing at airline staff as they tried to calm him down.

A violent struggle then ensued as the crew on board the Airbus 380 from Dubai to Manchester tried to bind Rashid's legs and arms together with cable ties.

One flight attendant was bitten in the thigh and the lower leg by jobless Rashid before he yelled: 'You f****** b****' at a stewardess.

A passenger who tried to help staff restrain Rashid was headbutted in the melee - causing his terrified daughter who witnessed the incident to hyperventilate in distress.

When the plane eventually landed in Manchester many of the 500 passengers cheered and applauded as Rashid was taken away to police cells. 

He later claimed he misbehaved because he had a heroin problem and had mislaid his medication.

At Manchester Magistrates' Court Rashid, from the city's Crumpsall district, admitted three charges of common assault on the day his trial was due to start.

He had initially denied wrongdoing, forcing three witnesses to travel 4,650 miles to the UK testify against him at a cost of several thousand pounds. 

The witnesses were sent home when they got to the court and realised they didn't have to give evidence.

The incident took place on August 31 last year when Rashid - who receives disability benefits - was returning to the UK after a family trip visiting relatives in his native Pakistan.

Nicola Durham, prosecuting said: 'The defendant came to the attention of cabin crew when the alarm on the toilet was activated by the defendant smoking. This caused a number of cabin crew to run up the aisle with fire extinguishers which caused a lot of concern for passengers.

'He was warned about smoking and was asked to return to his seat. He then began to walk up and down the aisle, almost stepping on a toddler in the process.

'The defendant is a regular user of Heroin and the cabin crew were advised to give the him two calming tablets which worked for a short time but then after about 45 minutes the defendant become agitated again.

'A further tablet was given to the defendant but after that wore off the defendant was being abusive towards the cabin crew and saying the word f**k.

'The cabin crew were left with no choice but to restrain the defendant using specialist equipment and bound his legs and arms together with cable ties and there was a struggle.

'In the struggle, a member of the cabin crew was bitten in the thigh and to the lower leg. 

'To another member of cabin crew, the defendant said: 'You f****** b****. A passenger on board the plane who then tried to restrain the defendant was head butted. 

'The passenger was supposed to be on holiday when he had to restrain this man and was caused physical harm in doing so.

'His daughter also began to hyperventilate as a result of the defendant's behaviour. 

'Passengers on board the flight were very distressed by all of this going on. The defendant was then arrested and taken off the flight when it landed in Manchester.

Rashid, pictured outside Manchester Magistrates' Court, admitted three counts of common assault and will be sentenced later

'There was a round of applause as the defendant was taken off the flight which shows how much distress he had caused.

Miss Durham added: 'Might I also add that three witnesses came all the way from Dubai to give evidence in this trial and the defendant only entered a guilty plea this morning on the day of trial. 

'The members of cabin staff had a duty to passengers when they were assaulted.'

In mitigation, defence lawyer Shakil Ahmed said: 'He is someone who has been on benefits due to personal disability for over 20 years. 

'He has been receiving help from from a number of agents to assist with his addiction to smoking heroin.

'The man has found himself using the drug as an escape mechanism but the effect this drug has had on him is that he has become a recluse and was staying away from anyone he could.

'The medication he had been taking to relieve his drug problem was lost in Pakistan which meant that he had got on the flight from Dubai he had been without any medication or drugs for over 10 hours and he was struggling.

'The way in which the cabin crew restrained him, coupled with the fact he was withdrawing from heroin meant that he became very distressed.

He had also been given four calming tablets which the defendant believes the side effects of these tablets contributed to his mood.

'He had been travelling with his wife and children and is very ashamed of what happened.'

Rashid will be sentenced later.