Australian Model Adau Mornyang Evades Jail Time After Slapping Flight Attendant

Adau Mornyang, an Australian model, was sentenced to three years of probation and 100 hours of community service at a Los Angeles court on Monday for causing airline flight disturbance and slapping a flight attendant earlier this year.

Prosecutors sought a month-long prison time for Adau Mornyang, but U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney, who sentenced the former Miss World Australia finalist, said he believed the model was deeply remorseful and did not deserve prison time or fines.

Mornyang read a statement in court saying that she is now getting treatment for anxiety and depression she attributed to childhood trauma, instead of self-medicating like she did when she boarded the fateful flight.

Mornyang had been drinking heavily during her flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles on January 21, prompting the other passengers to complain to the crew.

She became more violent when the flight crew tried to calm her and denied her more drinks. She also slapped one of the attendants. An air marshal then handcuffed her and held her at the rear of the plane.

“I’ve learned to deal with my emotions and trauma in a proper way,” Mornyang tearfully said in court. “I’ll do what it takes to prove to the world that I am not that woman.”

Mornyang was convicted of felony interference with a flight crew and misdemeanor assault, but she was acquitted on charges of assaulting an air marshal.

The 25-year old is a native of South Sudan who migrated to Australia as a refugee when she was 10 years old. In 2017, she streamed an hour-long live video on Facebook during which she spoke up about being raped as a teenager but pressured not to press charges.

Carney said that while he often sentenced terrorists, murderers and drug dealers, he did not have to do it on people like Mornyang. He said the trial process was already a punishment and that Mornyang’s financial circumstances would make the fine that often come with the crime untenable.

Despite not having to spend a single day in jail, Mornyang is required to submit to drug tests and receive mental health counseling.

“I want you to have a wonderful life,” Carney told Mornyang after handing down the sentence. “I hope I never see you again.”