Wealthy businessman cleared of 'bombing planes' jibe to women at Glasgow Airport

A wealthy businessman has been cleared of racially abusing two women wearing hijabs in a security queue at Glasgow Airport.

Oliver Larholt was accused of saying "if it wasn't for you bombing our planes we wouldn't have to clear security" and making comments about Palestinians.

The IT expert and finance professional, who was previously jailed for a firearms offence, admitted he had spoken to the women in question.

But he denied making the comment, claiming he had been speaking Arabic to them and had been polite.

He went on trial at Paisley Sheriff Court accused of acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm or distress to the women.

The 54-year-old denied shouting, acting aggressively and making the racist remark, in breach of Section 3(1)(b) of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.

Larholt said he was heading home to London from Glasgow Airport on June 3, 2024, as he "had just completed a fundraising tour of Scotland" raising money for a hospital.

He also said he was "very well acquainted with Middle Eastern etiquette" and well educated on the region, having spent a lot of time there.

Giving evidence in his own defence, Larholt said he had "used Arabic icebreakers" when speaking to the women.

He said he had said "peace be upon you, God willing and thank God" to the women and said he was "really good friends with the editor of a Palestinian newspaper".

Defence KC Tony Graham asked Sheriff Nigel Cooke to acquit Larholt, saying the two women and a security guard had said the allegedly racist statements had been said at different points in the queue to pass through security scanners.

Sheriff Cooke said: "I do have a reasonable doubt and I find you not guilty."

Larholt declined to comment on the case outside court this week, other than to say he was happy he had been acquitted.

A source said: "He had a lot riding on this. He has business interests in the Arabic world, which is why he speaks the language.

"If he had been convicted it would have been personally and professionally catastrophic.

"He was worried a conviction would mean he would lose financial backers and affect investments."

His address on court papers is a flat in London's Belgravia area.

Online listings show the flat in question was bought for £2.8million in 2008.

Other flats in the same building have sold for £9.5million and £14.8million.

In 2002 Larholt was jailed for brandishing a gun at a taxi driver while driving his Rolls-Royce.

The Old Bailey in London heard he got his grandad's old service flare gun out of the glove compartment of his Rolls-Royce while at a set of traffic lights.

He grabbed the weapon after London taxi driver David Pengelly signalled that he had cut in front of him.

Then aged 30, He said he was just joking.

But Judge David Stokes blasted Larholt as "arrogant and nasty" and jailed him for four months while saying: "Showing off to your friends had a good deal to do with it."