Why passengers were left on plane with would-be hijacker for over an hour
A judge has been left baffled as to why more than 200 adults and children were left on a plane with a methamphetamine-fuelled ‘hijacker’ who had threatened to blow it up in the skies over Melbourne.
Terrified passengers tackled Manodh Marks after he stormed the cabin, claiming to have a bomb.
On the way to Melbourne airport, Mr Marks took ice, and shortly after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH128 took off, his mid-air rampage began.
The would-be hijacker ran up the aisle, screaming: “I have a bomb with me. I want to talk to the pilot. I want to talk to the captain, don’t come near me. I want to destroy this aircraft.”
That terrifying threat prompted a mayday call, and at a cost of $63,000 the plane was turned around.
Mr Marks’ ‘bomb’ was actually a USB battery pack and speakers, but it was enough for passengers to tackle and hog-tie the Sri Lankan national until the plane landed.
One passenger recalled: “His face and soulless eyes showed no remorse and lack of regard for my life and everyone on that plane … For the first time I saw someone face to face that was so willing to harm and terrorise others.”
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The judge was left baffled as to why police didn’t swarm the aircraft once it landed.
“How was is that the passengers and crew were kept on the plane for an hour and a half while there was a potential bomb?,” the judge asked.
The prosecution responded: “It was a tactical decision by Victoria Police at the time.”
Mr Marks’ lawyer argued that his client should get a reduced sentence because the bomb was fake and didn’t pose as much of a threat as a knife would have.
But the judge disagreed, saying everyone on the plane thought it was real and it prompted a very serious response.
Mr Marks’ psychologist said the 26-year-old often hears screaming in his head, has an obsession with American singers Tupac and Rihanna, and believes he can solve nuclear problems.
He will be sentenced in June.
