Serial offender gets 15 months, less than half the term Lord Hermer authorised for Facebook post.
The Attorney General is under fire as the Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Philp brands case of “two-tier justice” and demands review.
The Shadow Home Secretary has accused the Government of “two-tier justice” after a man who threatened to gang rape and burn an air stewardess alive received just 15 months in prison, less than half the sentence given to another offender for a social media post.
Salman Iftikhar, with six previous convictions from 15 offences, was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on 5 August 2025 after making more than 100 threats in eight hours to Virgin Atlantic cabin crew on a flight from London Heathrow to Lahore.
Court reports say he told stewardess Ms Walsh: “You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang raped and set on fire.” He also called her a “f…ing white Welsh c” and threatened to “blow up the floor” of the Avari Lahore Hotel where crew were due to stay. Ms Walsh later said she was “traumatised by the threat of being gang raped” and took 14 months off work.
In a scathing letter to Attorney General Lord Hermer KC, Chris Philp MP wrote:
“I am writing concerning the sentence imposed by the Isleworth Crown Court on 5 August 2025 upon Salman Iftikhar who received a 15-month sentence for threatening and abusing an air stewardess, saying she would be dragged out of her hotel room, gang raped, and set on fire.
“…Despite this, Iftikhar only received a 15-month sentence, less than half of Lucy Connolly’s 31-month sentence (a prosecution which you authorised). Connolly made a wrong and distasteful social media post which she then deleted, but Iftikhar made over 100 sickening threats including of gang rape directly to Ms Walsh personally, face to face, and to other members of the cabin crew’s faces and has multiple previous convictions.
“I am sure you agree that this cannot be right… If you decide not to refer his sentence for reconsideration, then this would be yet another example of two-tier justice under this Government.”
Philp has formally referred the case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, which allows certain sentences to be challenged in the Court of Appeal.
Critics say Lord Hermer now faces a clear test of whether he will side with victims of violent threats or protect what Philp calls “shockingly soft sentencing.” Any refusal to act will fuel claims that the Government talks tough on crime but protects offenders from meaningful punishment.
The Attorney General’s Office has not yet announced whether Lord Hermer will refer the sentence for review.
Main Image of Lord Hermer – Creator: Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street | Credit: Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street Copyright: Crown copyright. Licensed under the Open Government Licence
