Julian Knight

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Julian Knight (born March 4, 1968) is the mass murderer who on August 9, 1987, shot dead 9 people and injured 17 during a shooting spree in Clifton Hill, Victoria, in what became known in Australian history as the Hoddle Street Massacre. He is currently serving a life sentence, with a minimum 27 year sentence before parole.

Knight currently resides in the maximum security Barwon Prison near Geelong and is eligible for parole in 2014.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Julian Knight

Julian Knight is the eldest of three children. He was adopted by a family with strong army ties when he was 10 days old. He moved often as a child, living in Melbourne and Puckapunyal, and also abroad in Hong Kong and Singapore.

His parents separated in 1979 when Knight was 11. He attended Melbourne High School, a selective secondary school with entry by academic examination. Chillingly, given events to come, an entry written by students in the 1985 Melbourne High School yearbook says:

Julian 'Swapo' Knight inherited the role of Cadet Unit looney and chief political agitator.

In 1986 he attended La Trobe University to study French, German history and politics.

[edit] Military career

Knight entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon on January 13, 1987, at the age of 18. Whilst a military career had long been a dream, he performed poorly at studies and gained good results only in weapons expertise exercises.

A night at the Private Bin nightclub in Canberra saw Knight involved in the stabbing of his sergeant and charged with assault, malicious wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was bailed to appear in court on June 12 but the case was subsequently adjourned to November 10. With his military career now all but over, it was suggested Knight resign.

[edit] Hoddle Street massacre

Main article: Hoddle Street massacre

Knight was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 27 years for the bloodiest massacre in Australian history since the Sydney Milperra massacre in September 1984, where six men and a 15-year-old girl were killed.

Below is a timeline of events which occurred on August 9, 1987 during the Hoddle Street massacre.

  • 9.29pm - Knight leaves his mother's house armed with
  • a .22 LR Ruger 10/22,
  • a 12-gauge pump-action Mossberg shotgun and
  • a 7.62x51mm calibre M14 military rifle
  • 9.30pm - Knight fires randomly at passersby using a Ruger rifle
  • 9.35pm - Knight fires randomly at passersby using a Mossberg shotgun
  • 9.37pm - First police unit arrives at the scene in Hoddle Street
  • 9.39pm - Knight fires randomly at passersby using a M14 rifle
  • 9.44pm - First ambulances arrive at the scene in Hoddle Street
  • 9.45pm - Knight withdraws from the Hoddle Street scene
  • 9.46pm - Knight fires 3 shots at police car "Northcote 253"
  • 9.48pm - Police Helicopter "Air 495" arrives over Clifton Hill
  • 9.59pm - Knight fires a shot at Constable Colin Chambers on the Northcote end of the Queens Parade/High Street bridge
  • 10.05pm - Knight fires 3 shots at Police Helicopter "Air 495", forcing it to land on nearby Knott Reserve
  • 10.13pm - Knight cornered in McKean Street, Fitzroy North
  • 10.14pm - Knight surrenders and is arrested by police

Knight had no criminal record prior to the shootings in Hoddle Street, and was able to easily acquire firearms.

[edit] Prison life

Knight is currently an inmate at the maximum security Barwon prison near Geelong, Victoria, and has initiated many legal challenges to the Victorian government whilst imprisoned. Knight's challenges often concern events and occurrences arising during his imprisonment and his dissatisfaction with prison management and prison discipline. He will be eligible for parole in 2014.

[edit] Legal challenges

On September 7, 1992, Knight appeared before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal seeking a review of a decision where he was refused Austudy assistance whilst imprisoned. [1]

On July 4, 2002, Knight appeared before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal (VCAT) with a complaint regarding an abuse of human rights where prison officers removed items "of a political nature" from his cell. The items removed were a collection of business cards, pamphlets and sheets of paper. One sheet of the paper had a large picture of Adolf Hitler in uniform. A second had a picture of Hitler with Nazi insignia and skull and cross-bones and others only the insignia. The cards had racist slogans saying "Stop the Asian invasion", "We just hate all queers", "White power" and "Dial-a-racist" with contact details. [2]

Knight being escorted into the Supreme Court of Victoria. On October 19, 2004, Knight was barred from launching any further legal action in Victoria's courts for 10 years with a judge declaring him a vexatious litigant.
Enlarge
Knight being escorted into the Supreme Court of Victoria. On October 19, 2004, Knight was barred from launching any further legal action in Victoria's courts for 10 years with a judge declaring him a vexatious litigant.

Along with the posters and paperwork, a large amount of contraband items were also located in Knight's cell, such as blades, sharpened knives, articles associated with the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazi Party, magazines, book and articles on weapons and war, medication bottles, a leather belt, two television remote controls, an extension lead, a can opener, bale hooks, permanent markers, computer disks - many containing information relating to prison security and staff, pornographic material, sandpaper, masking tape, prison manuals, staff pictures, T.A.B. betting information, prison and staff rosters. Knight's application was dismissed.

On August 21, 2002, Knight appeared before the Supreme Court of Victoria seeking an injunction ordering that prison management and staff cease inspecting and withholding legal mail sent to or by the plaintiff. The application was dismissed.

On September 9, 2002, Knight appeared before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal seeking "Full access to the daily staff rosters for HM Prison Barwon since the 1st May 2001" under the Freedom of Information Act. The application was affirmed. [3]

On October 7, 2003 Knight appeared before the Supreme Court of Victoria seeking injunctions in regards to opening of private legal mail and Knight's security classification and imprisonment in Barwon Prison's high security Acacia wing. Supreme Court Judge Justice Philip Cummins said of Knight's application, "I consider that ordinary tax-payers should not be fixed with the burden of these proceedings. Accordingly, in each instance I order that the costs of the proceedings of the respective defendants be paid by the plaintiff." [4]. The application was dismissed.

On November 11, 2003, Knight appeared before the Supreme Court of Victoria seeking an extension of time against a decision of VCAT. The application was dismissed with costs awarded against the applicant.

[edit] Vexatious litigant

In February 2003, it was estimated the many legal challenges by Knight had cost the Victorian Government over AUD$250,000 and approximately $128,000 had been spent since October 2001 on external legal advice to deal with Knight's legal appeals and Freedom Of Information requests.

On October 19, 2004, Knight was barred from launching any further legal action in Victoria's courts for 10 years with a judge declaring him a vexatious litigant. [5]. Knight is still able to make requests under the Freedom Of Information Act.

[edit] External links

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