Sri Lankan pleads guilty to attempting to take control of MH128

PETALING JAYA: A Sri Lankan student faces up to 20 years in jail after he forced Malaysia Airlines MH128 to return to a Melbourne airport when he attempted to enter the cockpit and threatened to blow up the plane.

Australian daily The Age reported that Manodh Marks had pleaded guilty in the Melbourne magistrate’s court on Friday for attempting to take control of the Kuala Lumpurbound flight on May 31.

The 25-year-old caused a commotion on Flight MH128 which was carrying 337 passengers when he attacked a female cabin crew member.

Passengers and other cabin crew then tackled, tied and sat on Marks until the plane landed at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport.

Marks was said to have struck a plea deal with prosecutors after agreeing to a single charge of attempting to take control of an aircraft.

The Age said Marks replied through an interpreter “I plead guilty, your honour” when he was asked to enter a plea.

The charge carries a maximum 20-year sentence.

The report added that in a plea deal, prosecutors struck out a more serious charge of attempting to hijack an aircraft, which carries a maximum life imprisonment sentence.

Charges of reckless conduct endangering aircraft safety together with a third charge of threatening to destroy, damage or endanger the aircraft’s safety, or to kill or injure anyone on board, was also dropped.

Marks is said to be currently remanded in custody while awaiting a plea hearing at the Melbourne County Court in April. He has made no request for bail.

He was previously said to have been mentally unstable and had only been released from a psychiatric facility not long before boarding the plane.