Hijacker vowed to try again, court told

[Wirraway]

Wed "Melbourne Age"

Hijacker vowed to try again, court told
By Peter Gregory
Chief Court Reporter
July 14, 2004

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2004/07/13/HIJACK_narrowweb__200x227,1.jpg
David Robinson
Illustration:Philip Burgoyne

A deranged man who tried to hijack a Qantas plane over Melbourne in May last year failed in a similar attempt four months earlier, a court was told.

Unemployed computer programmer David Mark Robinson tried to force his way into the cockpit of a Hobart to Melbourne flight in January 2003, but was thwarted by a locked door and vigilant cabin crew, a Supreme Court jury heard.

He told police he gave up on the attempt after being manhandled back to his seat by a female flight attendant.

On both occasions, the 41-year-old believed he had been chosen by God to kill the pilots and crash the plane into Tasmania's Walls of Jerusalem National Park in order to destroy the devil's underground lair.

Three psychiatrists called to give evidence agreed that Robinson suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.

In his second hijack attempt - aboard QF1737 on May 29 last year - Robinson rose from his seat shortly after takeoff and attacked flight attendants Gregory Khan and Denise Hickson with wooden stakes.

His plan involved killing all 50 people aboard before crashing the plane but he was overpowered by passengers and the aircraft returned safely to Melbourne.

Robinson has pleaded not guilty on the grounds of mental impairment to attempted hijacking, attempting to murder flight attendant Mr Khan and to causing serious injury to Ms Hickson.

In addition to the wooden stakes, Robinson was also carrying two aerosol canisters he intended to use as flamethrowers, the court was told.

Psychiatrist Dr Michael Owens said Robinson told him he believed the devil dwelt in an underground lair in the Walls of Jerusalem.

In a videotaped record of interview with the federal police, Robinson said the wooden stakes were concealed in his jacket pockets as he passed through the security scanners.

He said that once on board he read a newspaper to keep himself occupied, before telling himself, "OK, ah OK, it's time to go'.

Robinson told his interviewers: "I'm not in the habit of killing people, so it's not something you, you know, you got to try and mentally get over".

Asked why, if he was having doubts, he did not stop what he was doing, Robinson said he would have "loved to".

But he added: "This is going to sound really corny, ah, because I wouldn't have served God even though that's probably not very fair to him."

He said he had resigned from his $67,000 a year job six weeks before, partly over an argument he had with a colleague, "but more importantly because of this sort of Armageddon coming up".

Robinson, who was born in Leek in Staffordshire, in the English Midlands, added that he had thought about hijacking an airliner during a trip to England in the "recent past" but took no action.

The jury will retire to consider its verdict on Wednesday

© 2004 AAP

===========================================

[steamchicken]

Note that racial profiling would have infallibly detected....the Fa who had to restrain him.

[Wirraway]

ABC News Online
Wednesday, July 14, 2004. 12:06pm (AEST)

Jury finds man not guilty in hijack trial

A Melbourne man who tried to hijack and crash a Qantas plane last year has been found not guilty due to mental impairment.

David Mark Robinson, 41, of Bentleigh East was charged with attempting to hijack a Qantas plane as it flew from Melbourne to Launceston in May last year, as well as attempting to murder a flight attendant and causing grievous bodily harm to another.

The Supreme Court heard Robinson believed he was on a mission from God to rid the world of the devil by crashing the plane into the Walls of Jerusalem National Park in Tasmania.

The court heard Robinson was an undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenic.

After brief deliberations, the jury found him not guilty of all charges due to mental impairment.

Justice Murray Callum said Robinson would be placed in supervisory care at the Thomas Embling Psychiatric Hospital.

In a video-taped interview played to the jury yesterday, Robinson admitted to Australian Federal Police officers that he had tried to hijack the flight.

He said that after going to the toilet he tried to open the cockpit door but it was locked and he was challenged by flight attendants.

Robinson told the officers he had flown all over Australia, including capital cities, Broome, outback Northern Territory and Port Douglas, looking for a woman wearing crimson and scarlet who would show him where the devil lived.

He said he found her in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park and planned to crash the plane there to rid the devil from the earth.

=========================================

[sinala1]

:* :* :yuk: :yuk: :mad: :{

that pretty much explains how I feel about that verdict

How long is he to be detained in mental care for????????

:mad: :*

[woftam]

The law is an ass?
They have GOT to be joking!!!!!!!!!
So,let me get this straight?
You can do ANYTHING as long as you are a LOONY?
Time for the fuc#ing do gooders to take a looooong holiday!!!!!
Sheeesh !!!!!!!!
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[cunninglinguist]

What Woftam said................and double for the :mad: do gooders:yuk:

[DirectAnywhere]

Hang on!! Take a chill pill guys.

This person may not be guilty but nor is he innocent and he's not going to be released into the community for a very long time.

The individual in question has been found not guilty on the grounds of mental incompetence. Guess what?? He gets locked up in a maximum security psychiatric hospital for a LONG, LONG time.

Sentencing is due next month I believe.

[Pinky the pilot]

I suspect that the period of detention (in a secure part of a psychiatric facility) will probably be determined to be...
"until the Governors pleasure be known"
as the phrase used to be. Which in this case just might be a very very very long time!!
As DirectAnywhere posted; take a chill pill blokes. Lets just wait and see. I should think that the relevant authorities will view this case with the gravity it deserves.

You only live twice. Once when
you're born. Once when
you've looked death in the face.

[Uncommon Sense]

This guy is just a very public example of the tip of the iceberg created when the Burdekin Report was acted upon 10 years ago.

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2004/s1151869.htm

Whilst we are all blustering on about the ramifications on Aviation Security - the story behind it is much wider and has a much more enormous effect on society than our own narrow viewpoint v.v. aviation.

A blanket 'lock him up and throw away the key' approach, is no solution to the underlying problem, however good it may make you feel shouting it. There are many more latent examples of this individual in your own community.

The only problem with commonsense - it not that common

email uncommon sense ([email protected])

[Churchall]

Well, well. This is what happens when you leave important legal decisions in the hands uneducated, off the street, common folk. Not that your average Australian judge is any better, based on their appalling record of featherweight sentencing on the scum of society.
We all have our little mental problems, and that is NO excuse for hijacking an airliner. “Mental cases” are rarely locked up these days - given a pocket full of pills and let loose on the general public.
It is unfortunate Gregory and Denise, and any of the fit passengers on this flight did not have the foresight to take out this pathetic individual permanently at the opportune time.

[Jenna Talia]

locking him in jail is too much for a punishment!


Sorry Wunala, but I can't agree. Who cares what happens to him in gaol? That is nothing compared to the castastophe that might have occurred if he was successful.

He will probably be let out when some do gooding psych panel recommends him to be released within a few years if that.

[Capt Claret]

empathy from the Concise Oxford Dictionary, eighth edition, 1990.
the power of identifying oneself mentally with (and so fully comprehending) a person or object of contemplation

Empathy will not excuse the actions of the perpetrator. Empathy may allow the observer to imagine themself with a relative or close friend who migh commit a similar act. And then to realise that they might not want to see their relative or close friend go to jail, simply to sate the un-thought-out reaction of the masses, particularly if the relative or friend suffers a mental illness which precludes them from acting in a normal manner.

Most normal people would, I think, come to the conclusion that Robinson's actions were not those of a sane person. Ergo, he is not sane. He deserves some compasion for being ill.

My sentiments do not detract from the fact that what he did was wrong. The crew and pax did not deserve to be under actual or potential threat as they were, and are to be commended for their actions.

[sinala1]

You should always think from other people's point of views also and how they feel, his family, etc. not just yourself. I'm very sure someone out there does care.

I respect your point of view, but think about it from the Greogry and Denises point of view - their physical scars will (eventually) fade, what about their emotional ones? What about the rest of the SLF on that flight? What about the techies? And as Jenna said, what if he HAD been succesful?

Again no disrespect meant to your point of view Wunula, but I am sorry unless he is held in a maximum security mental facility for VERY LONG time, as in as long as the jail sentence would have been for a "sane" person, then I am going to continue to be mighty p*ssed off...

[Churchall]

From my extensive knowledge of the Australian legal, social and health system, I can assure you this criminal will be mixing it up on the street with you good folk in no time, if he isn't already. The only thing worse than having these mental case criminals not facing responsibility for their actions, is having to endure these corny geeky posts from wannabe compassionates...that is, until their OWN daughter/wife/mother is raped/tortured/murdered by one of these scum.

[Hempy]

Churchall, you seem to think that people here are interested in your opinions. Here's a newsflash champ, no one does. Go back to your crayons and butchers paper.

[Churchall]

Well, well.
Hempy, I was not aware that YOU spoke for all the people here. You are of course, entitled to your opinion - and I certainly will give it its due consideration...coming from one of our accomplished and more than capable Aussie Air traffic controllers.

[Uncommon Sense]

Actually he does stupid.

[sinala1]

Guys lets get back to the point of this thread hey...

[ovum]

Gaol, mental hospital....it doesnt matter as long as he's gone for a long time.

Now, could you please turn off that fluro font...I have a medical to pass soon :yuk:

[Churchall]

There would be some sort of security or something to make sure that he can't hijack the plane.
Yeah it's called the death penalty or life imprisonment WITHOUT parole. Your naive blind ignorant faith in Australian judges is cute, unfortunately history says otherwise with a disgusting extensive record of repeat murdrers, rapists, and serious assault offenders. So get off this topic and go back to kindy, you ignorant pathetic fool. I 100% agree with you that many people would've died IF he did but it didn't and that is the main point. God, help us..another worshiper of blind fate.


Churchall's blood pressure obviously needs a few days rest - as do my eyes after his technicolour posts! :mad:

Enjoy the weekend Churchall - as I am without your coloured posts and abuse.

Woomera

[ovum]

I think it was only Beckham that didn't make it to the goal....;)

[Uncommon Sense]

Is it just me or has the 'Sandman' gone too far this time?

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2004/07/13/HIJACK_narrowweb__200x227,1.jpghttp://www.propertyoz.com.au/Cities03/images/The%20Sandman%20-%20sml.jpghttp://homepages.tig.com.au/~natmcc/sandyflaccocartoon.jpg

The only problem with commonsense - it not that common

email uncommon sense ([email protected])