A British man accused of public disorder after joking about blowing up a flight has gone on trial in Spain.
Aditya Verma made the comment on Snapchat on his way to the island of Menorca with friends in July 2022.
The message, sent before Mr Verma departed Gatwick airport, read: "On my way to blow up the plane (I'm a member of the Taliban)."
Mr Verma told a Madrid court on Monday: "The intention was never to cause public distress or cause public harm."
If found guilty, the university student faces a hefty bill for expenses after two Spanish Air Force jets were scrambled.
Mr Verma's message was picked up by the UK security services who flagged it to Spanish authorities while the easyJet plane was still in the air.
A court in Madrid heard it was assumed the message triggered alarm bells after being picked up via Gatwick's Wi-Fi network.
Shortly after, the court was told two Spanish F-18 fighter jets were sent to flank the aircraft.
One jet followed the plane until it landed at Menorca, where the plane was searched extensively.
Mr Verma, who was 18 at the time, was arrested. He was kept in a police cell for two days and was later released on bail, the court was told.
Back in the UK, he was questioned by the British intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6, before he returned home to Orpington, Kent.
Appearing in court on Monday, Mr Verma - who is now studying economics at Bath University - said the message was "a joke in a private group setting".
"It was just sent to my friends I was travelling with on the day," he said.
Pressed about the purpose of the message, Mr Verma said: "Since school, it's been a joke because of my features... It was just to make people laugh."
