Simone Burns, the 50-year-old Irish international human rights lawyer, went on a drunken, racist rant onboard an Air India international flight last year has been found dead at the foot of Beachy Head in East Sussex. Burns apparently claimed her own life just days after being released from prison. She served a six-month sentence for her "drunk and obnoxious" behaviour onboard the AI flight late last year. Burns went on an abusive rant directed at Air India crew after they refused to serve her more alcohol. The crew had already served her three bottles of wine. Her drunken state prompted the crew to complain to the commander of the Air India flight AI131 - a Mumbai-London service - who instructed the crew not to serve her more alcohol.
On being denied more alcohol, Burns, who was flying business class, went on a rant that was captured on video. "Rich Indian f**king money grabbing b**tard" and "you f**king stupid c**t" were among the abusive phrases she directed at the Air India crew. At one point during her rant, she turned to a woman crew member and yelled, "I'll turn you inside f**king out. You f**king stupid c**t." She also said she was an "international human rights lawyer" who has "f**king helped Palestinian people". "All you have to do is give me a f**king drink but couldn't do that could you?" At another point, the woman went to the lavatory and tried to smoke a cigarette. Later, she was seen spitting at a male crew member. Burns was detained after the flight landed in London. In April this year, she was sentenced to six months in prison after she pleaded guilty to assault and being drunk.
According to a friend Burns' "world fell apart" after her conviction and she became a target of internet trolls over the viral videos of her rant on the Air India flight. She was released from jail two weeks ago and was found dead at the bottom of a cliff in the United Kingdom's East Sussex county. Reportedly, the police are not treating her death as suspicious.
