June 21, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 16, 1429

LONDON, June 20: British supermodel Naomi Campbell on Friday admitted assaulting two police officers as she was ejected from a plane at London’s Heathrow airport in a furious row over lost luggage.

The 38-year-old subjected the captain of the British Airways flight and police to a barrage of foul-mouthed abuse, spitting and swearing and accusing them of victimisation because she was black, a west London court was told.

Campbell, who last year was handed community service and forced to undergo anger management therapy after admitting assaulting her maid in New York, pleaded guilty to six charges in relation to the incident on April 3 this year.

Magistrates adjourned sentencing until later on Friday but told the catwalk star, whose lawyer said she was “genuinely apologetic” for her behaviour, that they had a community punishment in mind.

The assault charge carries a maximum six-month prison sentence and a fine of up to 5,000 pounds.

Outlining the case, prosecutor Melanie Parrish told magistrates in Uxbridge that Campbell had initially been friendly and professional when she boarded the Los Angeles-bound flight.

But she became irate after Captain Miles Sutherland informed passengers that take-off could be delayed because problems that dogged the first two weeks of the newly-opened Terminal 5 meant that not all the luggage had been loaded.

She was then told one of her bags, containing an Yves Saint Laurent outfit that she was contracted to wear on a US chat show, had not been put in the aircraft’s hold.

She flew into a rage at Sutherland, who had come out of the cockpit to explain the situation and outline what steps she could take, ordering him to get off the aircraft and find the bag himself.

Parrish said the model was then heard to say on her mobile phone: “They have lost my f… bags, get me another flight, get the press, get me my lawyer.” She then shouted at Sutherland: “How dare you tell me what my options are? You are not leaving until you find my f… bags.” As he walked away, she said: “You are a racist. You wouldn’t be doing this if I was white.” Concerned cabin crew called police but Campbell refused to move, despite being told four times that she was going to be forcibly ejected, the court heard.

Parrish said that as one police officer reached forward to try to take Campbell’s arm, the model “went berserk, thrashing her arms around uncontrollably”, hitting the officer on the arm with her phone.

The officer’s colleague was then kicked in the thigh by Campbell’s stiletto-heeled boots in a struggle that forced the only other first class passenger on the aircraft to move to the staff kitchen for safety, she said.

Campbell then caught the first officer on the arm with spit, prompting him to arrest her for assault, Parrish said.

She became more violent as they tried to remove her, shouting “don’t touch me”, kicking out and telling the officers: “It is because I am a black woman.

You are all racists. I am going to sue you. I am going to f… you.” Three of the charges were for assaulting a constable; another was for disorderly conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress; and two others for using threatening, abusive words or behaviour to cabin crew.—AFP