Somali refugee admits New Zealand's first plane hijack

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

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WELLINGTON (July 14) : Somali refugee Asha Ali Abdille, 36, pleaded guilty Wednesday to New Zealand's first plane hijacking charge. She admitted trying to hijack a 19-seat Air New Zealand Jetstream aircraft flying from Blenheim to Christchurch with two pilots and seven passengers in February 2008. Police agreed to drop seven other charges, including wounding the pilots and a woman passenger, after Abdille pleaded guilty at a pre-trial hearing in the Christchurch High Court. She was said to have carried three knives onto the plane and claimed she had a bomb and wanted to be flown to Australia. She was overpowered by the pilots after a scuffle. The hijacking charge carries a life prison sentence. Abdille was remanded into care at a psychiatric hospital until sentencing on August 27.

Source:DPA

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