Knife man freed to fly again...
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Knife man freed to fly again...
From www.news.com.au
Knife man freed to fly again
By Amanda Hodge
June 19, 2003
A PENSIONER who produced a knife and waved it around on a Virgin Blue plane walked free from court last night after a judge accepted he was "simply testing the system".
Edmund Wilhelm Mack, 68, of Sydney, cried as he was freed from the Cairns watchhouse after eight days in custody, saying "it was not the right thing to do" and that he would not do it again.
Mack was charged in the Cairns District Court with one count of possessing dangerous goods on an aeroplane. After pleading guilty he was sentenced to three months' jail.
But District Court Judge Sarah Bradley suspended the sentence and placed the German-born Bondi resident - who has held a restricted pilot's licence since 1966 - on a two-year, $1000 good behaviour bond.
The court heard Mack had taken a plastic-handled Stanley knife out of his cabin bag midway through last Tuesday's Sydney-to-Cairns flight and rubbed it up and down the side of the aircraft before surrendering it on request to a flight attendant.
Mack had later told police it was in his nature to test people's reactions.
Judge Bradley said she accepted Mack had not intended to threaten anyone and that the blade of his knife had remained in the sheath.
"There was no suggestion anyone was overly alarmed by your behaviour ... nevertheless it was a very stupid thing to do," the judge said. "I accept you didn't want to frighten or scare anyone. You were simply testing the system."
The Australian
Knife man freed to fly again
By Amanda Hodge
June 19, 2003
A PENSIONER who produced a knife and waved it around on a Virgin Blue plane walked free from court last night after a judge accepted he was "simply testing the system".
Edmund Wilhelm Mack, 68, of Sydney, cried as he was freed from the Cairns watchhouse after eight days in custody, saying "it was not the right thing to do" and that he would not do it again.
Mack was charged in the Cairns District Court with one count of possessing dangerous goods on an aeroplane. After pleading guilty he was sentenced to three months' jail.
But District Court Judge Sarah Bradley suspended the sentence and placed the German-born Bondi resident - who has held a restricted pilot's licence since 1966 - on a two-year, $1000 good behaviour bond.
The court heard Mack had taken a plastic-handled Stanley knife out of his cabin bag midway through last Tuesday's Sydney-to-Cairns flight and rubbed it up and down the side of the aircraft before surrendering it on request to a flight attendant.
Mack had later told police it was in his nature to test people's reactions.
Judge Bradley said she accepted Mack had not intended to threaten anyone and that the blade of his knife had remained in the sheath.
"There was no suggestion anyone was overly alarmed by your behaviour ... nevertheless it was a very stupid thing to do," the judge said. "I accept you didn't want to frighten or scare anyone. You were simply testing the system."
The Australian
Last edited by Longhauler; 19th Jun 2003 at 08:10.
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A golden oppportunity to make an example of this moron has gone begging. I now suspect there will be plenty of people now entilted to test the respective security systems at both Virgin and Qantas.
I hope the next time the system is "tested" the said judge is on board and suffers serious psychological damage from her trauma. Perhaps then she may get the message. Where do they find these morons?
I hope the next time the system is "tested" the said judge is on board and suffers serious psychological damage from her trauma. Perhaps then she may get the message. Where do they find these morons?
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"There was no suggestion anyone was overly alarmed by your behaviour ..."
Is this guy serious? He must be on a different frequency to the rest of us because I am sure I would have been more than a little alarmed.
Is this guy serious? He must be on a different frequency to the rest of us because I am sure I would have been more than a little alarmed.
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Would have been interesting to see the court's reaction if people onboard the aircraft in question had reacted a la Winstun and, on fear of imminent hijack, bashed the idiot to death!!
Would they have been charged with murder, manslaughter or whatever?? At least the wit with the knife would have known that the passengers had passed his little "test".
ing unbelievable!!! The law is truly an ass!!
Would they have been charged with murder, manslaughter or whatever?? At least the
wit with the knife would have known that the passengers had passed his little "test". ing unbelievable!!! The law is truly an ass!!
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You were simply testing the system
Unfortunately, it is this sort of attitude from our judges which spawns the two ugly sides of the same coin: copycat 'hijackers' and Winstuns. Both are an equal threat to our safety.
One can only hope that the prosecution will be appealing the verdict and sentence and that Edmund Wilhelm Mack will be jailed for some time.
Also, I hope that Edmund Wilhelm Mack has been placed on a list of 'banned' passengers by every airline in Austrlia and worldwide. If not, I suggest that all airline staff lobby their employer to do so, mentioning the employer's obligations to provide a safe working environment for their staff in the face of a known, proven and identifiable threat.
Ban Edmund Wilhelm Mack NOW!!!!!
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I wonder if the judge would be so blase about such incidents if someone were to 'test' the security of her courtroom with a weapon sometime. Im sure no one, least of all herself, would be unduly alarmed. Is there something in the water in the Queensland judicial system, or is it a simple case of these glorified lawyers holding the rest of us in utter contempt.
By the way, how is this odious nutjob getting home to Sydney?
By the way, how is this odious nutjob getting home to Sydney?
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Cairns tv just reported that he flew out. Can you imagine the scene? Passengers are watching Nine News on the overhead monitors and the story comes on, and this guys sitting beside them muttering into his inflight magazine. Beautiful! Why didnt he test the security on McCaffertys?
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His test worked. Ours did not. I believe in China people who try this sort of thing often do not survive the experience. No air marshals, just angry members of the public doing their civic duty.....
Given the events of Sept 11 this practice is one giant step closer in our part of the world.
Trouble is, a lot of people would rather go in than front our f
d court system to defend themselves on assault/depravation of liberty charges.
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Well, well..isn't the Australian justice system accomplished?
Mr Mack is a marked man......and WILL have something to really cry about in due course. My fellow upstanding Australians, your welcome!
Mr Mack is a marked man......and WILL have something to really cry about in due course. My fellow upstanding Australians, your welcome!
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If Mr Mack is the person I'm thinking of, I did a quick scenic flight with him last year in a C172. A very nice elderly person doing what I can only assume was a SAAD trip (See Australia And Die). If it is him, it only proves to me that seemingly normal people are capable of gross stupidity every now and then. I honestly don't think that chucking the old fella into jail for years or stringing him up by his entrails as some people seem to think is justified would really solve any such issues regarding "system testers".
Realistically, the only thing that will deter the average Joe Bloggs is publicity and fines. Really really big fines and community service along with an effective media campaign would not only be cheaper than locking up all of the stupid people. If people aren't aware of the risks they run by playing such a stunt, then how are they going to learn.
I think part of the issue involves the remarkably stupid security principles applied at airports. Recently my parents returned from a week holiday to Adelaide and had four or five bottles of wine in the carry on baggage. They also had a sewing kit in the bottom of one backpack. The security guards of course pounced on the sewing kit and had to unpack the wine to do so. The point of this is that effectively innocent and common items that have until recently been allowed are now strictly forbidden, though items that are much more dangerous are regularly getting through. (Sharpened wooden stakes anyone?)
It doesn’t necessarily take someone of Winstun-ian intellect to fashion a “useable” weapon out of products that are readily available airside for a couple of dollars.
Also, Winstun, I really hope you go ahead with your plans of non-state sanctioned “justice”. With attitudes like yours, you will go far. Preferably prison.
Realistically, the only thing that will deter the average Joe Bloggs is publicity and fines. Really really big fines and community service along with an effective media campaign would not only be cheaper than locking up all of the stupid people. If people aren't aware of the risks they run by playing such a stunt, then how are they going to learn.
I think part of the issue involves the remarkably stupid security principles applied at airports. Recently my parents returned from a week holiday to Adelaide and had four or five bottles of wine in the carry on baggage. They also had a sewing kit in the bottom of one backpack. The security guards of course pounced on the sewing kit and had to unpack the wine to do so. The point of this is that effectively innocent and common items that have until recently been allowed are now strictly forbidden, though items that are much more dangerous are regularly getting through. (Sharpened wooden stakes anyone?)
It doesn’t necessarily take someone of Winstun-ian intellect to fashion a “useable” weapon out of products that are readily available airside for a couple of dollars.
Also, Winstun, I really hope you go ahead with your plans of non-state sanctioned “justice”. With attitudes like yours, you will go far. Preferably prison.
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A very nice elderly person...... I honestly don't think that chucking the old fella into jail for years....
Hasselhof, you are pathetic. Your not the judge's son, are you?
Really really big fines and community service along with an effective media campaign
My gawd, surely your jokining? Oh, and let me guess, you ONLY get fined if your not a nice elderly system tester hijacker. Something seriously WRONG with the mind of many in this land.
non-state sanctioned “justice”.
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What a joke! And to think that these Judge's are up for a 9% pay rise shortly.
If the justice systems isn't going to do anything about him, I just hope that the airlines give him a life ban on ever being able to board an aircraft again.
...but I guess that would be discrimination wouldn't it!!
If the justice systems isn't going to do anything about him, I just hope that the airlines give him a life ban on ever being able to board an aircraft again.
...but I guess that would be discrimination wouldn't it!!
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Fri "Melbourne Age"
Qantas turns away knife man
June 20 2003
By Andrew Webster
A pensioner who last week produced a knife on a Virgin Blue plane to Cairns has been turned away from a Qantas flight.
Qantas staff in Cairns yesterday afternoon refused to allow Edmund Mack, 68, to board a flight from Cairns to Sydney. Qantas spokesman Michael Sharp said travel was declined for security reasons.
Mr Mack was convicted on Wednesday of possessing dangerous goods on an aircraft after admitting he had produced a plastic-handled craft knife with its blade retracted on a Sydney-to-Cairns flight on June 10. He was sentenced to three months' jail, suspended for two years, and fined $1000.
Speaking after his release, Mr Mack said he would not repeat his actions, which prosecutors said had been intended to test security. Qantas refused to say whether Mr Mack had been
banned from all its flights.
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Qantas turns away knife man
June 20 2003
By Andrew Webster
A pensioner who last week produced a knife on a Virgin Blue plane to Cairns has been turned away from a Qantas flight.
Qantas staff in Cairns yesterday afternoon refused to allow Edmund Mack, 68, to board a flight from Cairns to Sydney. Qantas spokesman Michael Sharp said travel was declined for security reasons.
Mr Mack was convicted on Wednesday of possessing dangerous goods on an aircraft after admitting he had produced a plastic-handled craft knife with its blade retracted on a Sydney-to-Cairns flight on June 10. He was sentenced to three months' jail, suspended for two years, and fined $1000.
Speaking after his release, Mr Mack said he would not repeat his actions, which prosecutors said had been intended to test security. Qantas refused to say whether Mr Mack had been
banned from all its flights.
=======================================
