Former Nortel exec fined over mile-high sex romp

Former Nortel Networks sales exec Amanda Holt "miaowed like a cat" on a mile-high sex romp, a court heard yesterday. Holt, who has since been sacked from her £90,000-a-year job at Nortel, embarked on the session with total stranger David Machin on a transatlantic flight in October. The two, both married, were consumed by lust at 35,000 feet after getting sozzled on a mixture of wine, brandy and port while travelling from Dallas to Manchester. They were fined a total of £2250 yesterday after Manchester Crown Court heard how the shameless pair came within a cat's whisker of joining the mile high club. With the lights dimmed on American Airlines flight AA10, Holt stripped to her bra and knickers, fondled herself while dangling her legs by the ears of the shocked elderly passenger in front, and buried her face in Machin's crotch. Fellow passenger Brian Carter said yesterday: "Her blouse and trousers had been removed. She was kneeling on the seat with her back to the window and Mr Machin had his hand inside her knickers." According to Carter, another passenger "heard noises which she took to be from a child misbehaving and miaowing noises coming from behind her... She was expecting to see a child but she turned round to see Mrs Holt". The ex-Nortel employee's solicitor, Peter Birkett, said Holt had been working very long hours on and had not eaten since breakfast on the day in question. It was not specified what she ate on the flight. Nortel sacked Holt from her sales job and withdrew her £15,000 share options after the incident. She has not worked since, but wrote a letter of apology to the airline. Holt was fined £1000 with £700 costs and Machin was fined £1250 with £400 costs. The pair escaped a possible two years in jail when charges of outraging public decency were dropped. ® Related Stories Shame at 30,000 ft exec puts Nortel Come Together slogan into practice Nortel Come Together tagline has pulling power