Duntroon Brass closed-door interrogations of senior cadets (one-on-one of course) on college campus would immediately have transpired on the very next day after the stabbing (Monday 1st June 1987), aware of the hate-filled animosity toward KNIGHT and particularly now of the immediate vengeful wrath toward KNIGHT by many senior cadets. KNIGHT could not safely return to his barracks.
KNIGHT’s eviction from Duntroon and from the Army for life, was definitely in train behind closed doors. Consider what did and also would have taken place by Duntroon behind closed doors with the AFP and DPP over the intervening 12 days from the stabbing and KNIGHT’s bail hearing. This has not been made public.
In the twelve days between KNIGHT’s stabbing of REED and his court bail bail hearing in Canberra we posit that Duntroon Brass got a tad busy save their skins and cover-up Duntroon’s Bastardisation reputation and so to evict and discharge one of its victims, KNIGHT ASAP, whom had dared to retaliate against delegated senior cadet abuse. This scheme included KNIGHT’s permanent expulsion from the Australia Army within weeks.
Consider KNIGHT’s timeline of events following his stabbing incident:
Stabbing Aftermath (next 12 days):
- Sunday May 31: KNIGHT’s stabbing of REED 3am | quick surrender to police | arrest | hospitalisation | police interviews | charges laid against KNIGHT.
- Monday June 1: KNIGHT transferred from Canberra hospital to Duntroon’s hospital | reports to nearby Belconnen Police Station | returns to Duntroon hospital | KNIGHT’s father visits from Townsville.
- Tuesday June 2: KNIGHT receives further treatment in Canberra hospital | KNIGHT with father inspect senior cadet vandalism to his car at Duntroon | KNIGHT reports vandalism to Major VERCOE in Kokoda Company barracks (while all other cadets training elsewhere).
- Wednesday June 3: KNIGHT’s mother flies from Melbourne to Canberra to visit KNIGHT in Duntroon hospital | KNIGHT and his father manage to drive the car to an auto garage in Fyshwick | both spend some hours together in Canberra | later returns to Duntroon hospital | NIGHT’s mother flies back to Melbourne | Same day, unbeknown to KNIGHT, Duntroon Brass ‘Board of Study’ met in review of KNIGHT’s performance and his stabbing offence – multiple negative assessments made. Board of Study Quote: “Decision: Prepare Show Cause, seven charges. Below standard on all leadership qualities. Issue following legal advice re civil charges. Convalescent leave from RMC/5 Camp Hospital. Seek legal advice on whether he can be suspended pending court case.” So this meeting formed the beginning of Duntroon’s formal dismissal process of KNIGHT. No mention is made of the back story to the stabbing incident, to KNIGHT’s bastardisation treatment, or any interviews or discipline metered out to KNIGHT’s assailants – the senior cadets of Kokoda Company 1st Class and 2nd Class. KNIGHT is not informed of the Board’s decision.
- Thursday June 4: KNIGHT’s father flies back to Townsville | KNIGHT discharged from Duntroon hospital | ordered on convalescent leave | collects his Army cash pay from Duntroon paymaster and discusses with 3rd Class cadets there about the incident | collects his car costing nearly all his pay | stays with Uncle and Aunt away in Canberra and away from Duntroon
- Friday June 5: KNIGHT informed by DMA (‘Director of Military Art’ – odd title, no paint brush) Colonel EARLE of poor performance and to ‘Show Cause’ why he should not be discharged | KNIGHT ordered on convalescent leave away from Duntroon campus to stay with his uncle and aunt in Canberra until the court bail hearing on 12 June 1987, then same day to then report to colonel EARLE again.
- Friday June 12: KNIGHT’s bail hearing in court – bail granted | But more significantly, Duntroon Brass 2IC Colonel EARLE in his office issues KNIGHT with a verbal ‘Show Cause’ ultimatum to resign with only alternatives with all but no pay pending. The effect would not apply just from Duntroon, but Duntroon would see that it apply to KNIGHT to be discharged from the Australian Army for life.
[SOURCE: The above records are derived from Julian KNIGHT’s 97-page ‘Personal Account’ of his 6-month relentless persecution at RMC Duntroon submitted to the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce dated 26 November 2013, pp.69-89].
Post-Stabbing Analysis:
Readers will be aware that that second court hearing never came, due to Knight’s arrest in Melbourne for his self-confessed Hoddle Street mass shooting crimes of 9th August 1987 in the interim.
The year 1987 is significant here for a few reasons.
First, an observation is that AUD $5000 back in 1987 would be valued at three times that value in 2025 currency, so $15,000.
Second, KNIGHT, as defendant in this stabbing case, did not attend that summoned hearing date on Tuesday 10 November 1987. He was not required to pay the surety. The explanation for how the stabbing case proceeded will be made clearer in due course.
Third, financially KNIGHT was about to hit rock bottom. Co-incidentally, recent purchase cost of his second-hand Holden Torana SL/R 5000 had been $5000 just some weeks prior, and he had done so on hire purchase plus interest, leveraging his routine ADF salary. However, he tenuous tenure at Duntroon even before the stabbing of Duntroon 1st Class senior cadet CSM REED would trigger his forced resignation and permanent discharge from the Australian Army completely within weeks (that date would be 24th July 1987 – just under 6 weeks away). So with no job or income KNIGHT would be forced to sell his car for whatever he scrounge in a hurry (below cost), yet still be liable to repay the hire purchase loan of $5000 plus the pre-agreed loan interest charges.
Fourth, recall, this year was 1987 and the Australian inflation was the highest in many decades at over 8%. Also, official Reserve Bank interest rates were skyrocketing at 17%, so more discretionary interest rates such as car loans were well into the 20+% range.
KNIGHT was facing serious financial problems that would only get worse. The Australian Stock Market would infamously crash on 19th October 1987 and under PM Keating the country was head into his “Recession we had to have” that prevailed for the next four years or so. This was not known to KNIGHT on 31st May nor 10th November in 1987. He was just aged 19, naive and hadn’t studied economics, finance or business.
The benefit of hindsight?
Also, a comparable yet disturbing Hollywood war movie classic ‘Full Metal Jacket‘ happened to be released in 1987 at the box office globally, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick. Bad stuff was going on out of public scrutiny with young committed people in military training, not just in Australia.
…continued: Forced Resignation Analysis