An architect wanted by police after failing to appear in court has lost a high-profile judging role at an international architecture competition following an alleged drunken attack on a Virgin Atlantic flight attendant and accusations of racism.
Simone de Gale, 44, came under scrutiny last week after missing a court hearing over charges linked to her behaviour on a February 5 flight from Dubai to London Heathrow, including assault by beating.
Ealing Magistrates’ Court heard that de Gale allegedly attacked stewardess Sarah Jane Buckland, accused her of racism and shouted: ‘I’m an architect and you’re just a f***ing air hostess’ after being asked not to disturb a sleeping baby.
The incident reportedly began when the architect was politely told not to walk along an aisle where passengers—including a family travelling with their nine-month-old child—were asleep.
Described as ‘really aggressive’, de Gale allegedly swore repeatedly at members of staff, telling one: ‘You’re a f***ing dumb air hostess. You need to learn your place.’ She was also accused of jabbing Ms Buckland near the collarbone and grabbing her cardigan.
De Gale said she was stranded in Dubai and did not attend the latest hearing. She was subsequently convicted in her absence of assault by beating and being drunk on an aircraft.
She was also found guilty of behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly way towards a crew member, as well as using words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
The Daily Mail can now reveal that de Gale has been removed from her role as a judge at this year’s World Architecture Festival.
Simone De Gale, 44, was arrested by officers at Heathrow Airport after the February 5 flight, during which she was accused of assaulting a stewardess
She failed to appear at Ealing Magistrates’ Court and was convicted in her absence on four charges, with a warrant issued for her arrest
Ealing Magistrates’ Court heard that de Gale shouted, ‘I’m an architect and you’re just a f***ing air hostess’, after being told not to disturb a baby on a Virgin Atlantic flight
The prestigious awards ceremony, taking place in Florida this year, draws leading names from across the global architecture industry. De Gale had previously been featured on the event’s website.
Her profile was removed following Thursday’s hearing at Ealing Magistrates’ Court.
A spokesman told the Daily Mail: ‘The organisers have requested that Simone de Gale step down from the judging panel this year.’
The Daily Mail contacted de Gale this week but received no response. The email address published on her website also appears to be unavailable.
De Gale runs her own architectural practice, which she founded in 2009 after receiving support through a bursary from The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.
In 2015, she met the Prince of Wales at an event organised for the trust, where she appeared alongside Stephen Lawrence’s mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence.
According to biographies and professional profiles, de Gale has received several industry honours, including Architect of the Year at the Women in Construction Awards in 2017.
Her LinkedIn page says her work has included contributing to London Underground infrastructure for the Westfield shopping centre in White City in 2005 and designing staff facilities for Gazprom, the Russian state-owned energy company, in 2006.
She also worked as an architecture writer for the Huffington Post from 2016 to 2019, a period during which she appears to have published six articles.
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De Gale was also appointed as a board adviser at The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and became Head of Planning at The Belgravia Society in June 2024.
The organisation, based in one of London’s wealthiest neighbourhoods, says it is a charity set up ‘to create a civic society in Belgravia with an holistic approach to the community’.
De Gale is still listed as a committee member on the charity’s website.
De Gale (left) is seen meeting Kate Middleton in May 2015 along with Baroness Doreen Lawrence of Clarendon at the Stephen Lawrence Centre in south London
De Gale (pictured meeting King Charles), of Notting Hill, was today convicted of four charges including behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly manner towards a member of crew, being drunk in an aircraft and assaulting Ms Buckland by beating
An arrest warrant has been issued by a judge for De Gale after she failed to attend court
She has also previously fronted a government message under the Conservatives in 2021, appearing on posters for the Department for International Trade’s Made in the UK, sold to the world campaign.
At court on Thursday, it was heard de Gale’s personal assistant contacted officials to say she had been stranded in Dubai since September 8 and was due to return to the UK this weekend.
Prosecutor Sinan Ors told the court how de Gale became verbally abusive and threatening towards members of the cabin crew, before physically assaulting stewardess Ms Buckland.
Giving evidence, Ms Buckland described how the incident began when de Gale – who has previously been pictured meeting both King Charles and the Princess of Wales – attempted to cross an aisle near a sleeping family.
Ms Buckland told the court ‘I said to her: ‘Would you mind not crossing at the cross aisle?’
‘I say it every flight, and she came straight across and started shouting at me: “You’re a f***ing dumb air hostess. You need to learn your place”.
‘She called me racist. “You’ve only said this to me because you’re racist”.
‘It was just a barrage of those words.’
Asked how de Gale had been speaking, she replied: ‘Really loudly, really aggressive. It happened so quickly.’
Ms Buckland said de Gale had demanded to see the captain, shoved a phone camera in people’s faces and made repeated references to her own profession.
‘She was pointing. “Get me the captain now. You’re only saying this to me because you’re racist, and I’m an architect and you’re just a f***ing air hostess”.’
Her account was backed up by passengers on board the flight, who told the court de Gale had repeatedly accused staff of racism, boasted of earning more money than them and claimed stewardesses were ‘only there to serve drinks and food’.
When arrested on arrival at Heathrow Airport, bodycam footage shows how she told officers ‘I don’t think that’s possible,’ before adding: ‘I recorded everything on a video.’