By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A man who wielded a fake bomb in front of more than 200 terrified passengers and crew aboard a commercial airplane just after take-off from Melbourne Airport has been jailed for up to 12 years.
Manodh Monaragala Marks had pleaded guilty to attempting to take control of an aircraft – believed to be the first example of a charge for this offence in Australia, County Court of Victoria judge Michael McInerney noted during sentencing on 7 June.
Marks, a 26-year-old Sri Lankan student who was living in Dandenong, was acting under a severe ice-induced psychosis at the time of the offence, Mr McInerney said.
On 31 May 2017, he had taken methamphetamine sometime between just being discharged from a psychiatric facility and boarding a Malaysian Airlines flight that night.
Marks unveilled what appeared to be a “very life-like” bomb but was in fact a speaker and a portable power-bank, both with flashing blue lights.
He ran to the galley door leading to the pilot’s cabin, announcing he had a bomb and wanted to destroy the plane.
A passenger stated Marks’s finger hovered over the power button of his device. “I’m going to blow the f***ing plane up,” Marks allegedly told him.
The timing could not have been more critical – the plane had ascended to 4000 feet in the early “sterile period” of the flight.
There were 222 passengers and crew aboard.
A mayday message was conveyed to the pilot, who turned the plane around and landed it back at the airport within 15 minutes.
Meanwhile cabin crew and passengers overpowered Marks and restrained him with hand ties.
After landing, passengers were distressed at remaining on the plane with Marks and the device for a further hour and 20 minutes. It took 40 minutes for security forces to reach the plane.
According to Marks, he had heard screaming voices due to his psychosis. He believed the plane was going to crash and wanted it turn back to Melbourne.
Mr McInerney noted that Marks had achieved his wish.
It was not an act of terrorism or greed, nor was there sufficient evidence of pre-planning, the judge said.
However Marks had fallen under powerful delusions due to his own actions.
He must have known the impact of using ice before boarding the plane, the judge said.
Marks had used meth since 2016. Prior to the offence, he had been hospitalised for meth-induced psychoses.
The seriousness of the act wasn’t greatly diminished by the bomb not being real. The offending was a use of force that was “very grave indeed”, Mr McInerney said.
Marks was jailed for up to 12 years, with a minimum non-parole period of nine years. He was to be deported to his homeland upon completing his term.
