Marli Moncrieff: Perth man denied Phuket holiday jailed in Singapore after blurting out plane crash threats

A Perth man has made international headlines and been pilloried on social media for turning his dream holiday into a nightmare, winding up in a Singapore jail instead of sunning himself on a Thai beach. Marli Curtis Philip Moncrieff had spent a lot of money and time planning his Phuket vacation but was denied entry to the country and immediately sent back to Singapore, where he had stopped over, in the early hours of November 20. According to The Straits Times, the reason was a page of visas had been torn out of his passport. But the 36-year-old was also denied entry into Singapore for the same reason. As he was then being escorted to a Jetstar flight back to Perth, an angry Moncrieff remarked: “I want the aircraft to crash and kill everyone.” Unsurprisingly, he was bundled off the flight. As he sat in Changi Airport limbo, he was overheard by a flight attendant telling his girlfriend: “If they put me on another flight, I will tell them I will crash the plane again.” He was then questioned by authorities and doubled down — repeating the threat, prompting his arrest. Last week, Moncrieff was sentenced to eight weeks behind bars after pleading guilty to a harassment charge, with Principal District Judge Toh Han Li reportedly saying: “Words can have serious consequences.” Moncrieff’s ill-fated adventure has been reported in Singapore, Thailand, China and the UK, and he’s been lampooned on social media not just for being a “typical Aussie numpty” misbehaving on holiday, but for his mullet. “I hope they give him a new haircut in prison,” one Facebook post read. “Hopefully on a permanent no fly list. Stay home stupid,” another read. There was even an editorial by Thai.News’ editorial team about Moncrieff’s ordeal being “a cautionary tale—a stark example of how a moment’s fury can spiral into a full-blown fiasco”. A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said consular assistance was being provided. “Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment,” she said. Consular assistance can include prison visits to monitor welfare, liaising with local authorities about the inmate’s well-being, providing lists of local lawyers and helping communicate with family members or nominated contacts. Jetstar has declined to comment. Court records show Moncrieff was in 2022 charged in Perth with threatening to kill someone, burglary, possessing cannabis and stealing.