Australian man, 36, threatens to crash plane at Changi Airport after being denied entry into Phuket & S'pore

In November 2024, a 36-year-old Australian man had to abort his holiday plans in Phuket after he was denied entry by Thai immigration authorities over a torn-out visa page in his passport.

The man, Moncrieff Marli Curtis Philip, was subsequently placed on a flight to Singapore, where he was denied entry again for the same reason and placed on a repatriation flight to Perth.

However, while Moncrieff was being brought to the flight, he uttered: "I want the aircraft to crash and kill everyone."

His words caught the attention of a flight attendant.

After Moncrieff was removed from the flight, an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer overheard him telling his girlfriend that he would "crash the plane again" if he were to be put on another flight.

When the ICA officer asked Moncrieff to confirm his intentions, he repeated what he told his girlfriend and even told the officer, "I don't want to go home, send me to jail, I want to die".

Moncrieff was arrested after a police report was lodged, and he was sentenced to eight weeks' jail on Jan. 15, 2025.

Denied entry in Phuket & S'pore

According to court documents seen by Mothership, Moncrieff took a Jetstar flight from Perth to Phuket with a layover in Singapore sometime before Nov. 20, 2024.

When he was turned away by Thai immigration authorities, he flew back to Singapore and arrived at Changi Airport at around 1:23am on Nov. 20.

After he was similarly denied entry into Singapore, he was brought to the ICA officers on duty, who assisted him in retrieving medication "ordinarily prescribed for depression and anxiety" from his checked-in luggage.

However, court documents did not state explicitly whether Moncrieff suffered from the mental health conditions above.

'Upset' over abortive holiday

Later on, Moncrieff was arranged to board another Jetstar flight to Perth, which was scheduled to depart at 6:55am.

He was also placed in a gate hold room at Terminal 4 while waiting for the flight.

Court documents stated that he was "very upset" at the turn of events, as he had planned the holiday to Phuket for some time, and "it had cost him a good deal of money".

Threatened to crash repatriation flight

At around 5:40am, Moncrieff, who was the first person to be asked to board his flight, was escorted towards the aerobridge.

He then made his threatening remarks, which alarmed a flight attendant and prompted her to consult her managers and the captain.

The flight crew subsequently decided to remove Moncrieff from the flight as a precaution.

A search was also conducted on his belongings and luggage, but nothing incriminating was found.`

Told girlfriend he would threaten to crash plane again

After Moncrieff was handed over to the Singapore authorities, he was brought to the Terminal 4 Arrival Immigration Counter.

He was asked to wait at a nearby lounge area for another flight at Jetstar's expense.

While waiting, Moncrieff's girlfriend brought some food over for him, and they started chatting.

At around 7:40am, an ICA officer overheard him telling her: "If they put me on another flight, I will tell them I will crash the plane again."

In response, the ICA officer asked Moncrieff what he had just said to confirm his intended actions, and he replied with the exact words he told his girlfriend in an agitated state.

However, court documents noted that Moncrieff did not raise his voice or use vulgarities when expressing himself.

Told ICA officer he wanted to be sent to jail & die

Upon hearing Moncrieff's reply, the ICA officer tried to calm him down in order to facilitate his repatriation.

However, Moncrieff, who was still upset, repeatedly intimidated the ICA officer by saying that he wanted to be sent to jail and die, instead of returning to Australia.

In response, the ICA officer asked him to confirm that if he were to be put on another flight, he would tell the cabin crew he would crash the plane.

Moncrieff said, "Yes, I do not want to get to another flight," before asking the ICA officer to send him to jail again.

Pleaded guilty

After conferring with her colleagues, the ICA officer lodged a police report.

Moncrieff was subsequently arrested at around 5:15pm, approximately 16 hours after he landed in Singapore.

He was charged on Dec. 9, 2024, with two counts of using threatening words causing alarm.

On Jan. 15, 2025, Moncrieff was sentenced to eight weeks in jail after admitting to his offence, reported The Straits Times.

Showed 'genuine remorse'

During court proceedings, the prosecution highlighted the need for "general deterrence" in Moncrieff's sentencing, citing the "heightened security posture around airports and aircraft".

However, the prosecution also noted that Moncrieff had expressed "genuine remorse" and indicated his intent to plead guilty "at the earliest possible opportunity".

"While the context of [Moncrieff's] threat was dangerous insofar as he threatened to crash a plane, no harm beyond additional checks on [his] possessions and his offboarding resulted," submitted the prosecution.

Should his words cause flight diversions or emergency responder activations, they would serve as aggravating factors to his case.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)

Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children)

SHECARES@SCWO: Call: 8001-01-4616 | Whatsapp: 65714400 (for targets of online harms)

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