Woman accused of walking towards plane at Canberra Airport tries to dismiss charges

The woman accused of running across the tarmac towards a moving plane at the Canberra Airport, allegedly putting the safety of numerous people at risk, has lost her attempt to have her charges dismissed on mental health grounds.

Rejoice Alfred, now 20, was arrested and granted bail after the incident on 1 November 2023.

Closed-circuit television footage screened to the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday (19 August) allegedly showed staff trying to speak to the then-19-year-old as she went through the security checkpoint before she ran off inside the airport, followed by a staff member.

She was filmed allegedly going through a door into a restricted area before running across the tarmac towards the moving Qantas plane, which contained 100 passengers, while a member of the ground crew tried to intercept her.

The plane could be seen coming to a stop as she allegedly ran across the tarmac.

Ms Alfred was then allegedly filmed being escorted back across the tarmac and into the airport. A staff member led police officers to where she sat in a taxi and she was arrested.

On Monday, her lawyer, Paul Edmonds, asked the court to dismiss her charges on mental health grounds, saying she had been diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“There is little doubt that this young lady suffered some sort of psychotic episode on the day of this incident,” he said.

She is now on medication and has been compliant with her treatment regime, Mr Edmonds said.

Mr Edmonds also said there was no evidence she had been running late for a flight.

“She simply has no idea how or why she got to the airport on that day,” he said.

Prosecutor Samuel Carmichael said it seemed Ms Alfred’s diagnoses of depression and PTSD were somewhat detached from the episode of psychosis present during the incident.

He alleged it appeared she experienced an episode of substance-induced psychosis.

Magistrate Ian Temby said he didn’t know whether the plane stopped due to Ms Alfred’s presence on the tarmac or because it reached its destination and he accepted that the alleged risk to passengers and staff was not likely to be high.

He said she had described her alleged actions as “bizarre” herself.

“They are certainly very unusual,” he said.

“She doesn’t know, and I don’t know, how it is she was able to get as far as she did.”

When it came to her mental health application, Magistrate Temby said the medical evidence was “lacking in clarity” as to how her conditions emerged and what caused her conduct that day.

“What started the PTSD is unclear. Its severity is unclear,” the magistrate said.

“There is a distinct lack of clarity as to the significance of her conditions on her or how she is likely to behave.”

He also said she’d reported using marijuana two to three times a week during 2023.

The magistrate refused her application to dismiss her charges of entering an airside area without authorisation and damaging property.

Mr Edmonds then said his instructions were to plead not guilty and the matter was set for a hearing on 21 February 2025.

It will also return to court for a mention on 2 September.