Dubai: A drunk passenger, who flashed his middle finger to an airline staff and cursed him before assaulting a policeman over check-in delay, has been jailed for three months.

The 37-year-old British passenger was travelling and had arrived at the check-in counter to board an Emirates Flight headed to Birmingham in July.

The passenger gave his passport to the ground staff to finish his check-in procedures and was asked to wait, but the passenger returned shortly after and behaved disruptively because he was delayed.

The heavily drunk Briton launched a series of curses at the Indian ground staff by cursing him and his mother.

The accused also flicked his middle finger at the Indian and threatened to have him fired from his job because he is a British citizen who has influence.

He then breached the privacy of the Indian by filming him with his mobile without his consent.

As police were called to the gate, the Briton cursed the policeman, stepped on his foot, pushed him and threatened to have him sacked from the police force.

On Thursday, the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the accused of assaulting and offending a policeman, using physical strength against him and threatening to have him dismissed. He was also found guilty of cursing the Indian, indecently gesturing in public, threatening to have him sacked and filming him.

According to Thursday ruling, presiding judge Habib Awad also fined the accused Dh2,000 for drinking liquor.

“I was too drunk at the time. I do not really recall what happened,” the Briton told the court.

The accused will be deported after serving his punishment.

The passenger repeatedly told presiding judge Awad that he was too drunk and didn’t remember what happened during the July 14 incident.

The Indian victim said the accused got angry and behaved rudely minutes after he was asked to wait to finalise his boarding procedures.

“He cursed me and my family and flashed his middle finger in front of all the passengers. He said ‘I am British and I can have you fired from your job and send you back home.’ He took out his phone and filmed me in a way that angered other passengers,” he testified.

The policeman said when he was summoned to the gate, the defendant cursed and assaulted him. “I was dispatched to check out about the rowdy passenger at 7am. At concourse B, the defendant was angry because he was asked to wait. I introduced myself as a policeman but he cursed me and threatened me verbally by saying ‘I am British and I will cause you trouble and smash your face’,” he testified.

The ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.