The former flight attendant claims coronavirus forced her into a life of crime. Photo / Supplied
The former flight attendant claims coronavirus forced her into a life of crime. Photo / Supplied
A former flight attendant whose taste for travel and the high life came crashing down during the pandemic, has been sentenced to 28 months in prison on charges of drug dealing. The 27-year-old claims she turned to crime after losing her job during the coronavirus pandemic.
Alexandra Dobre from Romania had been living out of crew bases in Luton in the UK for the past three years. Working for several airlines, her life was documented on a lavish Instagram account, as she crisscrossed Europe.
The woman's social media was full of exotic locations, separated by her proudly wearing uniform and posing with Wizz Jet and Ryanair planes.
Defendent 'Loved her job' before persuing life of crime. Photo / Instagram, Supplied
However her jet-powered career was cut short during layoffs in the travel industry. However, just four months later, she was stopped by police in a Fiat Punto with 20g of cocaine according to local paper the Stoke Sentinel.
In a court hearing, the jury was told of how the woman's life spiralled out of control after meeting a man on a dating app.
"She was evasive with the officers about where she was living," her prosecutor told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, reported the paper.
The former attendant documented her high-flying lifestyle on social media. Photo / Supplied, Instagram
Further searches found an estimated $3000-$5000 of the drug in her apartment according to police records seen by The Sun. Dobre pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply before her sentencing.
Exotic holidays and glamarous workdays were shared to social media before Dobre's fall from grace. Photo / Supplied
However, her lawyer said this behavior was out of character by the defendant who, less than half a year earlier, was gainfully employed.
"She was a flight attendant for a number of years, with different airlines. She was well paid," defence lawyer Paul Cliff told the court.
"She had friends in the North Staffordshire area, one of whom was a nail and beauty technician, and came up to Stoke-on-Trent," said Cliff.
"She had friends in the North Staffordshire area, one of whom was a nail and beauty technician, and came up to Stoke-on-Trent."
"She was plainly acting under direction. One of the terrible consequences of her offending is she will never work as a flight attendant again. It's something she loved."
The claim that she was acting under the direction of a man she had met through a dating app was hard to prove, given this individual could not be summoned to court:
"Since her arrest, he has disappeared into the ether and she has not been able to contact him."
Cliff insisted the defendant was "not criminally minded" and pleaded for clemency. However the Judge was not moved. Sentencing the former flight attendant to over two years behind bars, it was a significant fall from grace for the airline worker in a short space of time.
Something she still insists would not have happened had she not had her wings clipped by the pandemic.
