Tramp has lived at airport 26 years

A MAN who has lived, homeless, in Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport for the past 26 years has been jailed for a month for stealing an iPod from a passenger’s car.

Ismaël Nohou’s life was revealed at Bobigny court after his 11th appearance in court for theft and other minor offences at the airport.

An offender rehabilitation group, Apcars, investigated and found that he had been sleeping in the underground car park at Terminal 2B to be near the restauarant and hotel rubbish bins. It was like a real-life scene from Steven Spielberg’s 2004 film The Terminal, based on a tramp at a New York airport.

Nohou’s lawyer, Azia Mumtaz Taj, said he could sometimes be persuaded to try a homeless hostel away from the airport, but soon returned. Roissy was his home.

He said that the 46-year-old, whose family were from the Comores, had left home in Melun at 17 after a row and apart from doing his military service had been at Roissy ever since, living off scraps from the bins and petty thefts from cars.

Mr Mumtaz said that Nohou spoke like a five-year-old and could only say Yes, No or I don’t know – although he would gladly accept a cigarette if offered.

Judges had ordered a psychiatric report but this morning he was released from jail after serving his time while awaiting a verdict.