Plane stupid! Australian man’s flight crash threat lands him in jail
A disgruntled Australian man found himself behind bars after making a chilling threat to kill everyone at 35,000 feet. His off-the-cuff remark about crashing a plane left airport officials with no choice but to take him seriously.
Marli Curtis Philip Moncrieff embarked on what he thought would be a dream holiday from Perth to the sunny shores of Phuket with his girlfriend on November 20 last year. However, things took a nosedive when Thai officials denied him entry due to a torn visa page in his passport.
With Thailand off the itinerary, the 36 year old tourist’s nightmare continued as Singaporean immigration officials followed suit, leaving him stranded at Changi Airport.
Sequestered in a holding room while awaiting a Jetstar flight back to Perth, Moncrieff was reportedly seething over the wasted funds and annual leave gone awry.
The situation spiralled out of control during boarding when a flight attendant heard Moncrieff ominously declare, “I want the aircraft to crash and kill everyone.”
Alarmed, the crew acted swiftly, notifying the captain and having Moncrieff removed from the flight. A search of his luggage turned up nothing suspicious, but the damage was done.
Handed over to local police, Moncrieff ended up back at the Jetstar counter to arrange another flight home. Yet, he couldn’t resist doubling down.
An immigration officer overheard him telling his girlfriend, “If they put me on another flight, I will tell them I will crash the plane again.”
Asked to clarify his shocking statement, Moncrieff repeated his threat, expressing a desire to die or be jailed. His comments prompted the officer to alert the police, who swiftly arrested him.
In a letter of apology to the court, Moncrieff admitted he regretted alarming airport staff just doing their jobs. But Principal District Judge Toh Han Li wasn’t impressed.
“Mere words can have serious consequences.”
The judge clearly underlining the importance of aviation security in today’s climate. Noting that Moncrieff seemed aware of the weight of his words, the judge handed down an eight-week sentence for the threatening outburst.
Jetstar was asked for a comment on the incident but declined.
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