On Saturday, an Australian man was charged in Singapore for making a bomb threat on board a Perth-bound plane that forced the airplane to turn back under fighter jet escort.
Hawkins Kevin Francis faces up to 10 years in prison or a fine not exceeding Sg$500,000 ($356,000) or both on conviction.
Flight TR16 operated by Singapore budget carrier Scoot was forced to turn back to the city-state an hour into the journey on Thursday after the danger was made.
Singapore’s air force flew fighter jets to escort the airplane back and the plane landed safely. Police said the threat was untrue.
Francis, who was not identified at that time, was captured by police who boarded the plane.
He allegedly told a member of the cabin crew “I have a bomb” during the flight, according to the charge sheet.
He also “uttered the word ‘bomb’ repeatedly” to another cabin crew member.
Despite comprehending the threat to be false, Francis wanted to make the cabin crew assume “that a terrorist act will be carried out”. He committed a crime under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Regulations, the charge sheet said.
Sporting an olive green T-shirt, the Australian heard the charges, filed at a district court, via video conference and said he understood them.
He had a beard, looked somber, and talked slowly.
The court ordered him to be remanded to the Institute of Mental Health for two weeks for psychiatric observation before his case was heard again on October 27.
During Saturday’s proceedings, he asked if he could get “an airplane ticket back to my home country in Australia” but was told it was not possible at this time.
His request to make a statement to the court was also denied.
