KNIGHT’s bail hearing takes place eleven days following the stabbing and the subsequent charges laid by Police on Sunday 31st May 1987. 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 Kokoda Company cadet training barracks.
[Julian Knight continues…]
“On the morning of Friday 12 June 1987, I appeared in the ACT Magistrates’ Court in Civic for a bail hearing (Case No CC3792/87). Two of my uncles accompanied me. Major VERCOE also attended the hearing in civilian attire.
A solicitor from the Canberra law firm of Crowley and Chamberlain appeared for me and made a brief plea on my behalf before the magistrate bailed me to appear again in the ACT Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 10 November 1987.
Bail was set at a $5,000 self-surety, so I simply had to sign the bail register and I was free to go. I was not required to appear in court again until 10 November 1987.”
Editor’s In-Context Analysis:
That court $5000 self-surety would be liable to be paid by KNIGHT to the court only if KNIGHT failed to attend court on his summons day at the scheduled time (5 months time).
Yes, he was “free to go” and probably felt that he had just been granted a ‘Get Out of Gaol Free Card’. How as his stabbing crime not resulting on immediate incarceration?
KNIGHT had become ‘persona non grata’ (unwelcome) at Duntroon. Yes, he was “free to go” by the Court and probably felt that he had just been granted an unexpected ‘Get Out of Gaol Free Card’.
Yet, behind the scenes his imminent expulsion from Duntroon and discharge from the Army for life was culturally in train by the Duntroon Brass.
