Julian Knight
| Julian Knight | |
|---|---|
Julian Knight at the time of his arrest
|
|
| Born |
Julian Knight 4 March 1968 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation | Former military cadet at Royal Military College, Duntroon |
| Criminal penalty | 7 × Life imprisonment Non-parole period of 27 years |
| Motive | Unknown |
| Killings | |
| Date | 9 August 1987 9:29 pm — 10:14 pm |
| Location(s) | Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia |
| Target(s) | Civilians, police and passing-by cars in Hoddle Street |
| Killed | 7 |
| Injured | 19 |
| Weapons | |
Julian Knight (born 4 March 1968) is an Australian mass murderer. On 9 August 1987, he shot dead seven people and injured 19 during a shooting spree in Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia, in what became known in Australian history as the Hoddle Street massacre.
Knight is currently serving seven consecutive life sentences with non-parole period of 27 years. At the time of sentencing Victoria had no provision for life imprisonment without parole, also as Knight was aged between 18 and 21 at the time, he was classed as a young offender, meaning the sentencing judge had to give more weight to his prospects of rehabilitation. The judge who sentenced him, Justice George Hampel, stated that there were "a number of mitigatory factors" including his age and "prospects of rehabilitation".
Knight currently resides in the maximum security Port Phillip Prison in Truganina, Victoria near Melbourne and was eligible for parole in 2014; however, the Victorian government has stated that it is "unlikely" Knight will ever be released.
Julian Knight is the eldest of three children. He was adopted by a family with strong army ties when he was 10 days old. His adoptive father was not a highly trained army officer, as reported by the press, but an army education officer who taught literacy and numeracy, and later Chinese, to soldiers.
Knight moved often as a child, living in Melbourne and Puckapunyal, and also abroad in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. In early 1975, Knight's family settled in Laverton, Victoria, and he attended Laverton Primary School until the end of 1978. His parents divorced in 1980, when Knight was 12. He subsequently attended Westbourne Grammar School, Fitzroy High School and later Melbourne High School, a selective secondary school with entry by academic examination. An entry written by students in the 1985 Melbourne High School yearbook says: Julian 'Swapo' Knight inherited the role of "cadet unit looney and chief political agitator". While at Westbourne he was noted for his fascination with guns and the military, with strong interests in Nazi Germany and the war. In 1986 he attended La Trobe University to study French, German history and politics. Knight has an IQ of 132, well above average.
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