Columnist, News Ltd, Melbourne-based
14th July 2015: ‘Hoddle Street mass murderer Julian Knight in prison porn probe’
SOURCE: News, Law and Order, Herald-Sun newspaper,
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/hoddle-street-mass-murderer-julian-knight-in-prison-porn-probe/news-story/1bba58ecd8901e524768bd525f870b85
Hoddle Street mass murderer Julian Knight has been accused of accessing pornography on a prison computer system.
Mass murderer Julian Knight has been accused of accessing pornography on a prison computer system.
The vexatious litigant (columnist bias), who shot dead seven people in the 1987 Hoddle St massacre, had multiple court proceedings stalled because he is now barred from accessing computers at Port Phillip Prison.
Knight, 47, has applied for an interim injunction in the Supreme Court to be able to access electronic materials relevant to his various legal crusades (columnist bias).
The application was brought (by Mr Knight) as part of an ongoing dispute in which Knight is seeking a pay rise for himself and his fellow inmates at the maximum-security prison.
Appearing from prison by video-link (from Port Phillip Prison), Knight claimed had been blocked from using the prison library, where all legal materials are kept, and the education centre, over the pornography allegations. He has been charged with breaching prison rules and internal proceedings are now afoot. It is unknown what type of pornography Knight is accused of viewing. Liam Brown, acting for Commissioner for Corrections Victoria Jan Shuard, said prison authorities anticipated a resolution in the coming weeks.
Knight told Justice Cameron Macauley he had been consistently denied access to his own computer to prepare for cases and, since June 6, was banned from prison systems, and had CDs and dozens of floppy discs confiscated.
“That material was seized to be examined for pornographic material. That search was completed weeks ago,” Knight said.
He claimed a proceeding in the ACT Supreme Court, in which he is claiming damages over injuries he received whilst serving in the (Australian Defence Force), also had to be adjourned because of the restrictions.
Mr Brown said prison authorities “have no intention of denying Mr Knight access to materials he needs” to conduct proceedings. He said certain documents could be printed for Knight, or he could arrange to access material himself through supervised access.
Knight claimed he needed access to the library in order to conduct his legal research and his password-protected computer account contained a “multitude of files.”
He also claimed the fact Port Phillip Prison was still in lockdown as a result of recent riots of a statewide prison smoking represented a further barrier to his court cases.
“I’m under as many restrictions as you can possible have, your Honour,” he said.
Justice Macaulay directed Mr Brown to prepare an affidavit in response to Knight’s claim and requested Knight prepare a list of cases for which he needed access to documents.
The application has been adjourned until 2.15 pm on Friday.