'Jet ski fugitive' says he has 'no regrets' as he is extradited
David Jackson allegedly tried to flee Australia for Papua New Guinea but says he was running out of fuel when police stopped him.
Friday 29 March 2019 18:51, UK
A British man accused of trying to flee Australia by jet ski says he has "no regrets" about leading police on a chase across a strait.
David Jackson, 57, was facing drugs charges in Western Australia when he allegedly tried to escape to Papua New Guinea.
He had bought a vehicle in the Queensland city of Cairns and then headed to Australia's most northern point, camping on the coast while gathering supplies such as food, petrol and a crossbow, according to local media reports.
But residents nearby were suspicious and tipped off police.
After a chase across the Torres Strait, the water between Australia and Papua New Guinea, Australia's border force caught him and his jet ski.
He told Channel 7 in Brisbane that he had got "very close" to Papua New Guinea.
He added: "Border Force got me, they chased me into the mud... they chased me into the mangroves and I got stuck in the mud.
"Yeah I know [I was close], I had to come back for fuel, they don't sell fuel over there [in Papua New Guinea]."
When asked if he had any regrets, he thought for a moment and then replied: "Nah."
On Friday, Jackson appeared before a magistrate in Cairns for a hearing on his extradition to Western Australia.
He was remanded in custody and will appear in court in Perth on 1 April.