SINGAPORE, Jan 16 — A tourist from Australia was sentenced to eight weeks in jail after he threatened to crash his flight, after being denied entry twice — into Phuket and then Singapore.

Moncrieff Marli Curtis Philip, 36, pleaded guilty to one charge of using threatening words to cause alarm.

A second similar charge was also considered when deciding his sentence, reported Channel News Asia.

The court heard that Moncrieff had been planning a trip from Perth to Phuket, with a stopover in Singapore.

His arrival in Phuket however, followed with being denied entry because a page of visas had been torn from his passport.

He was sent back to Singapore, where he was also denied entry for the same reason.

At Changi Airport, immigration officers helped him retrieve his prescription medication for anxiety and depression from his luggage before he was then taken to a holding room to wait for a flight back to Perth.

Around 5.40 am on Nov 20 2024, as Moncrieff was being escorted to board Jetstar flight JQ96, he made a threatening remark: “I want the aircraft to crash and kill everyone.”

A flight attendant overheard this and reported it to her managers, who decided to remove him from the flight.

A search Moncrieff and his luggage, however revealed nothing suspicious and he was then handed over to the authorities and told to wait for another flight back to Australia, which would be arranged by the airline.

While waiting, Moncrieff spoke to his girlfriend and again threatened to crash the plane if he was put on another flight.

An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer overheard the comment and reported it, which upset Moncrieff, though he did not raise his voice or use bad language.

The ICA officer tried to calm him down, but Moncrieff remained agitated and even expressed a desire to be sent to prison.

Later that day, he was arrested after the officer made a police report.

During the court proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Shaun Lim called for a prison sentence of eight to 12 weeks.

He explained that Moncrieff’s remarks caused fear and negatively impacted Singapore’s reputation as a major air hub.

Given the airport’s security concerns, he argued that a strong sentence was needed to send a clear message.

Moncrieff’s defence team, representing him through the Pro Bono SG Ad Hoc Pro Bono Scheme, asked for a shorter sentence of one to two weeks.

The Australian apologised to the judge for his behaviour during a previous hearing when his charges were upgraded, and his lawyer, Benedict Koh, mentioned that Moncrieff had been struggling with anxiety and depression.

The defence also highlighted that Moncrieff had invested a lot of time and money into the trip, which added to his stress.

Moncrieff had been away from home for two months and missed two funerals during that time.

Moncrieff himself wrote an apology letter, expressing regret for his actions and saying he did not intend to scare anyone.

The prosecutor acknowledged Moncrieff’s remorse but stressed that threats made in an airport cannot be taken lightly, especially with the potential impact on security.

In his ruling, Judge Toh Han Li stated that “mere words can have serious consequences,” especially in the current climate of heightened aviation security.

Although Moncrieff’s threats did not lead to harm, such remarks could still cause disruption and anxiety.

The judge noted that there was no clear link between Moncrieff’s mental health issues and the offences, as no psychiatric report had been provided.

The court also took into account that Moncrieff seemed aware of the seriousness of his words when he faced the possibility of jail time.