Tourist jailed for throwaway threat on Qantas plane

January 3 2003

A British tourist has become the first person in Australia since the September 11 terrorist attacks to be jailed for making a threatening comment aboard an aircraft.

Thomas John Lilico, 22, sat in the dock of Cairns Magistrates Court yesterday with his head in his hands and was led out crying after magistrate Ken Lynn sentenced him to three months’ jail, suspended after one month, followed by a 12-month, $300 good behaviour bond.

Lilico was charged after an incident aboard a Qantas flight that was due to leave Cairns for Darwin at 9.45pm on New Year’s Day.

The court was told that a flight attendant handing out headsets heard Lilico say, “I’m going to pull my knife out and hijack the plane.”

The comment was made off the cuff and directed to no one in particular, the court heard. But the attendant felt immediately threatened and shocked, and told the captain.

Lilico pleaded guilty to making a threatening or false statement which threatened or endangered the safety of the aircraft and its passengers.

The Commonwealth prosecutor and defence counsel had submitted that a fine was the appropriate sentence, but Mr Lynn disagreed.

He said he would make an example of Lilico. In the present world climate, people making statements aboard aircraft needed to be held accountable, he said.

“It really is a case that persons who have too much to drink … at times say things they don’t mean, and because of that there has been some suggestion that your behaviour should not have been regarded as seriously.

“I think it should be made very clear that if the decision is made to drink too much and then going onto an aircraft and making smart comments … are things that won’t go without consequences.”

Lilico told AFP officers he did not remember making the remark and that he had consumed eight pints of heavy beer, as well as still being under the effects of New Year’s Eve, in the six hours before boarding the aircraft.