sinala1
13th Jul 2004, 07:04
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,10120843%255E421,00.html
Accused hijacker had 'tried before'
By James Madden and wires
13jul04
A MAN who allegedly tried to hijack an aircraft flying from Melbourne to Launceston had been thwarted months earlier in a similar attempt, the Victorian Supreme Court was told today.
David Mark Robinson, 41, has pleaded not guilty on the grounds of mental impairment to attempting to hijack the plane he boarded at Melbourne on May 29 last year.
He also has pleaded not guilty on the same grounds to attempting to murder flight crew member Gregory Khan and to causing serious injury to another flight crew member, Denise Hickson.
Mr Robinson is alleged to have planned to kill the 50 passengers and six crew aboard the flight before crashing it into the Walls of Jerusalem national park in northern Tasmania.
Today, the second day of the trial, the jury was shown a video of an interview with police in which Robinson stated he had tried to take control of a Hobart-to-Melbourne flight in January last year.
He said he had tried to open the door to the cockpit but it had been locked.
Mr Robinson said he had been questioned by a flight attendant who had told him to sit down, and crew members had then kept a watch on him for the rest of the flight.
He said on the tape he had intended to take control of the January flight by "taking out" the pilots, then turning the plane round and crashing it in the Walls of Jerusalem park.
Expressionless
Yesterday, Mr Robinson remained expressionless during the opening of his Supreme Court trial.
Crown prosecutor Michael Cahill said the accused had boarded the plane on May 29, 2003, armed with two sharpened wooden stakes, two cigarette lighters and two aerosol cans.
Mr Robinson intended to use these items as weapons to kill his fellow passengers, the four cabin crew and two pilots so he could take control of the plane, the court was told.
"He booked a seat with the intention of killing everyone on the plane so he could fly it to the Walls of Jerusalem where he would crash it," Mr Cahill said.
But the Crown would not oppose the defence's argument that Mr Robinson was legally insane at the time of the incident, he said.
Mr Robinson's lawyer, Peter Morrissey, said the facts surrounding the case were undisputed but said such was his client's mental state at the time of the incident that he was unable to recognise that what he did was wrong.
The court heard evidence from flight attendant Denise Hickson, who suffered a 4cm gash to her face when Mr Robinson allegedly struck her with a wooden stake. Fellow crew member Greg Khan said he saw Mr Robinson walking quickly to the front of the plane.
He was then set upon by Mr Robinson who repeatedly stabbed him in the head before being wrestled to the ground, the court heard. The trial, before Justice Murray Kellam, continues.
With AAP and The Australian
_______________________________________________
Forgive my lack of understanding/empathy of this guys mental illness, (and I am prepared to be abused for that), but he makes me sick and should be locked up
:yuk: :yuk: :yuk: :yuk: :yuk: :* :* :*
Our thoughts go out to the crew and SLF involved.....
Accused hijacker had 'tried before'
By James Madden and wires
13jul04
A MAN who allegedly tried to hijack an aircraft flying from Melbourne to Launceston had been thwarted months earlier in a similar attempt, the Victorian Supreme Court was told today.
David Mark Robinson, 41, has pleaded not guilty on the grounds of mental impairment to attempting to hijack the plane he boarded at Melbourne on May 29 last year.
He also has pleaded not guilty on the same grounds to attempting to murder flight crew member Gregory Khan and to causing serious injury to another flight crew member, Denise Hickson.
Mr Robinson is alleged to have planned to kill the 50 passengers and six crew aboard the flight before crashing it into the Walls of Jerusalem national park in northern Tasmania.
Today, the second day of the trial, the jury was shown a video of an interview with police in which Robinson stated he had tried to take control of a Hobart-to-Melbourne flight in January last year.
He said he had tried to open the door to the cockpit but it had been locked.
Mr Robinson said he had been questioned by a flight attendant who had told him to sit down, and crew members had then kept a watch on him for the rest of the flight.
He said on the tape he had intended to take control of the January flight by "taking out" the pilots, then turning the plane round and crashing it in the Walls of Jerusalem park.
Expressionless
Yesterday, Mr Robinson remained expressionless during the opening of his Supreme Court trial.
Crown prosecutor Michael Cahill said the accused had boarded the plane on May 29, 2003, armed with two sharpened wooden stakes, two cigarette lighters and two aerosol cans.
Mr Robinson intended to use these items as weapons to kill his fellow passengers, the four cabin crew and two pilots so he could take control of the plane, the court was told.
"He booked a seat with the intention of killing everyone on the plane so he could fly it to the Walls of Jerusalem where he would crash it," Mr Cahill said.
But the Crown would not oppose the defence's argument that Mr Robinson was legally insane at the time of the incident, he said.
Mr Robinson's lawyer, Peter Morrissey, said the facts surrounding the case were undisputed but said such was his client's mental state at the time of the incident that he was unable to recognise that what he did was wrong.
The court heard evidence from flight attendant Denise Hickson, who suffered a 4cm gash to her face when Mr Robinson allegedly struck her with a wooden stake. Fellow crew member Greg Khan said he saw Mr Robinson walking quickly to the front of the plane.
He was then set upon by Mr Robinson who repeatedly stabbed him in the head before being wrestled to the ground, the court heard. The trial, before Justice Murray Kellam, continues.
With AAP and The Australian
_______________________________________________
Forgive my lack of understanding/empathy of this guys mental illness, (and I am prepared to be abused for that), but he makes me sick and should be locked up
:yuk: :yuk: :yuk: :yuk: :yuk: :* :* :*
Our thoughts go out to the crew and SLF involved.....