Hijack accused on jail suicide watch

By NICK SQUIRES in SYDNEY

The Australian man alleged to have tried to hijack a plane travelling from Melbourne to Tasmania with a pair of sharpened wooden stakes last week is under suicide watch in prison.

David Mark Robinson allegedly tried to storm the cockpit of Qantas Flight QF1737 last Thursday, before being tackled by an air steward and subdued by passengers.

A spokesman for the Corrective Services Department said the British-born Robinson was being closely monitored by staff at Melbourne Assessment Prison after being psychologically evaluated.

Robinson, 40, from Melbourne, appeared in court on Friday charged with attempted hijacking and two counts of assault.

He was remanded in custody and will appear again on August 8.

He is being allowed outside the management unit of the prison for only one or two hours a day and has restricted access to other prisoners.

"He is on what used to be called suicide watch and is being closely monitored by staff," the spokesman said.

"It is still being assessed whether he will be moved somewhere else."

The motive for the attack is not yet known. Robinson, described by work colleagues and neighbours as "completely normal" and "very likeable", was believed to have been travelling to Launceston to meet his ex-girlfriend, who had recently ended their relationship.

His marriage to a public relations and marketing consultant broke up four years ago and it is also believed that he recently found out that his father, who lives in England, was seriously ill.

Robinson, a committed Christian, allegedly made references to Armageddon in police interviews following the mid-air drama.

Six weeks ago he quit his job as a senior computer engineer with Ipex Computers in Melbourne.

Victorian police have said Robinson may have been "less than fully stable in his own mind".

Qantas has announced that the two flight attendants he allegedly assaulted, Greg Khan and Denise Hickson, will return to work "when they feel comfortable".

Khan, 38, was hailed as a hero by fellow crew members and passengers after he allegedly stopped Robinson from entering the plane's cockpit.

Khan was stabbed in the back of the head with two wooden stakes and required 16 stitches. Hickson was slashed in the face and received a black eye.

Robinson faces a maximum sentence of life in jail if convicted of the attempted hijacking.