Swedish man chased by airport security after spitting on waitress

A SWEDISH man was chased by security staff at Edinburgh Airport after he spat on the face of a waitress at a Costa Coffee stall in the International Arrivals hall.

The 30-year-old's action led to him missing his flight home and spending a night in police cells and another in Saughton Prison.

Aptulah Vurucu from Stockholm pled guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday to assaulting Monica Zajac on January 5. Sentence was deferred until today for contact to be made with the Swedish Consulate after Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie QC was told that having missed his flight by being in custody, he did not have any money to pay for another.

Fiscal Depute, Neil Allan, told Sheriff Jarvie that Vurucu had been hanging about the Arrivals area on Wednesday afternoon.

Ms Zajac was cleaning tables at Costa Coffee at 3pm when Vurucu approached and asked if a hat had been handed in. He also asked a number of other staff, but they checked behind the coffee bar and there was no sign of a hat. Three hours later he approached the waitress again and began verbally abusing her.

Mr Allan said that by 7pm security staff were concerned about the accused's bag being left unattended at the entrance door to the arrivals area. Ms Zajac was cleaning tables again when she was touched on her shoulder. The Fiscal said: "She turned round and the accused began shouting at her in a language she did not understand. He then spat on her face".

Ms Zajac screamed and Vurucu ran off without his bag and pursued by security staff, who caught him.

Defence agent, Jennifer Cameron, said Vurucu had been visiting a friend in Perth over the Festive Season. His flight to Sweden was due to depart at 11.20 on Thursday morning. He had run out of money and decided to spend Wednesday night in the airport. Ms Cameron said he had lost his hat and had gained the impression that the waitress was being "snotty".

He had apologised for his behaviour to the police when he was charged.

When the case was called today, Sheriff Jarvie was told the Swedish Consulate had provided a ticket for Vurucu's flight to Stockholm and money for the taxi fare to the airport. She told him: "Since you have spent one night in a police cell and one night in Saughton Prison you are admonished and dismissed".