The Crown is seeking a starting point of 15 years imprisonment for aircraft hijacker Asha Ali Abdille, who is being sentenced in the High Court at Christchurch today.
The 36-year-old, a Somali refugee who was living in Blenheim at the time, has admitted the knifepoint hijacking of a small passenger plane flying from Blenheim to Christchurch on February 8, 2008.
She was arrested when the plane landed at Christchurch Airport and has been in custody ever since.
Abdille pleaded guilty a month ago and was remanded for sentence today, before Justice Christine French. Several injuring and wounding charges involving aircraft crew were dropped when she agreed to plead guilty to the hijacking, the first such case in New Zealand.
Abdille, a vineyard worker, took three knives aboard the flight, and used one to cut the pilot.
She demanded he fly to Australia, but when he said they did not have enough fuel, she suggested they fly into the sea.
When the plane landed at Christchurch, Abdille was overpowered by the pilot and first officer.
The pilot received cuts to both hands and needed extensive surgery to reattach muscles, tendons and a nerve. He was also cut on his back. The first officer was cut on his foot and a passenger was also wounded.
- NZPA
Crown seeks 15 years jail for hijacker
Asha Ali Abdille. File photo / One News
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