Barrister jailed for aircraft abuse dies

Barrister Simone Burns, 50, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment in April after racially abusing and spitting at stewards during a flight from Mumbai to London last year.

On May 20 she was released on licence from HMP Bronzefield and was found dead at Beachy Head in East Sussex 13 days later.

An unnamed friend said her “world fell apart” following the conviction and that she became the target of online trolling after the clip of her rant went viral on social media.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “The body of a woman found at Beachy Head on June 1 has been identified as Simone Burns from Hove.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious and the next of kin have been informed. The matter has been passed to the coroner’s officer.”

Ms Burns, who was born in Belfast, had shouted on the flight “I’m a f***ing international lawyer” and called Indian staff “Indian money-grabbing c***s” before smoking a cigarette in the toilets during the incident on the Air India flight on 11 November last year.

At one point the lawyer shouted: “I have done so much for you f***ing Indians and f***ing Pakistanis, you should be grateful to me.”

Ms Burns had been ordered to pay £300 in compensation to the crew member she spat on.