Greedy businessman who arranged Sala’s doomed flight is jailed
BUSINESSMAN David Henderson was condemned by a judge as greedy and sentenced to 18 months yesterday over the plane crash that killed footballer Emiliano Sala.
The striker, 28, and pilot David Ibbotson, 59, died when their small plane plunged into the Channel on the evening of January 21, 2019.
Henderson, 67, of Hotham, east Yorks, was convicted by a jury of endangering the safety of the aircraft in October at Cardiff Crown Court. His wife wept in court yesterday as Mr Justice Foxton jailed him for 18 months for endangering an aircraft.
Justice Foxton said Henderson had shown “a cavalier attitude” and had not kept even the most basic records. He added Henderson had intentionally breached Civil Aviation Authority regulations “for profit”, and was “reckless, not merely negligent”.
Henderson had pleaded guilty to trying to arrange a flight for a passenger without permission or authorisation.
The flight the Argentinian star took was organised by Henderson, who was the plane’s operator.
Sala had just completed a £15million transfer to Cardiff City from Nantes FC, and was travelling between the cities when he died.
The footballer’s body was found about two and a half weeks after the crash, though the pilot, has never been discovered.
Stephen Spence QC, defending, said the crash and trial had damaged Henderson’s reputation, ridding him of his livelihood.
Henderson, who is considering appealing the conviction, was said to have been affected physically and mentally and is now on beta blockers for a heart condition. Mr Spence said: “He faces ruin.”
During the trial the court heard how Henderson, who was away on holiday in Paris with his wife, had asked Mr Ibbotson to fly. The pilot, who flew regularly for Henderson, did not hold a commercial pilot’s licence, a qualification to fly at night, and his rating to fly the single-engine Piper Malibu had expired.
Neither did Henderson have an air operator certificate, which meant he was not legally allowed to take money for trips.
After finding out the plane had gone down, Henderson texted friends and colleagues telling them to stay silent, warning it would “open a can of worms”.
The father of three and former RAF officer admitted in court he had feared a probe into his business dealings.