Court time for man who triggered ‘hijack-mode’ on Bali-bound flight

A man who caused a hijacking panic on a plane routed to Bali earlier this year appeared in a Brisbane court today. 

The Virgin flight VA41 from Brisbane to Bali on April 25 went into “hijack-mode” when Matt Christopher Lockley, 27, apparently tried to force his way into the
plane’s cockpit. 

Several hours into the flight at around 3 pm, Lockley started pounding on the cockpit door, asserting he needed to be let in, says commonwealth prosecutor Peter Richards. Lockley has been charged with interfering with a crew member. 

Lockley also talked to flight crew about the presence of police and mentioned a possible weapon on the flight. Dubious, eh?

Once the flight landed in Bali, Lockley was taken in by police and military from the plane. Well, not as big of an exit as that JetBlue flight attendant who took the slide out the chute, but we can still say Lockley made quite a big entrance into Bali that day. 

The trial isn’t over: Lockley has pleaded not guilty and his trial before Magistrate Judy Daley is ongoing. 

Source: Courier Mail



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