Michael Denis McAuliffePalmer, Tim.
Drug smuggler Michael McAuliffe hanged in Malaysia in 1993
"

ABC News Australia ABC News, also known as ABC News and Current Affairs, is a public news service produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The service covers both local and world affairs, broadcasting both nationally as ABC News, and across the Asia- ...

. See point 1:39. Updated 11 March 2015. was a barman from Sydney, born in

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia, who was executed in Malaysia in June 1993 for

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

trafficking.

Biography

McAuliffe was arrested at

Penang International Airport Penang International Airport (PIA) is an international airport in George Town, Penang, George Town, the capital city of the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. The airport is located at the southeastern tip of ...

at about 6.20 pm on 29 June 1985 when white powder packed in 14

condom A condom is a sheath-shaped Barrier contraception, barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a Sexually transmitted disease, sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both external condo ...

s in his money belt and secured around his waist was detected during a body search at the airport inspection area. McAuliffe was charged with possession of 141.89 grams of heroin.Upheld: Death sentence on former Australian bartender. ''

New Straits Times The ''New Straits Times'' is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first), having been founded as a local offshoot of Singapore-based ''The Straits Ti ...

'': 13 May 1992, p.5. The former

army reserve Army Reserve refers to a land-based military reserve force, including: *Army Reserve (Ireland) *Army Reserve (United Kingdom) *Australian Army Reserve *Canadian Army Reserve * New Zealand Army Reserve *United States Army Reserve *United States Navy ...

soldier, who had been living in Manly, Sydney, was convicted in the Malaysian High Court in Penang on 17 August 1991. An appeal was lodged with the

Malaysian Supreme Court Malaysian may refer to: * Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia * Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia * Malaysians, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regardless o ...

Karpal Singh Karpal Singh s/o Ram Singh Deo (; 28 June 1940 – 17 April 2014) was an Indian Malaysian politician and lawyer. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Bukit Gelugor in the state of Penang from 2004 to 2014. During that t ...

acted as McAuliffe's counsel at the appeal, at which 28 arguments were presented. One argument was that the original trial judge had criticised McAuliffe for failing to disclose his defense after his arrest. (This defense was that McAuliffe believed he was carrying "bang bang powder", an

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such as ...

given to him by a Thai dance hostess.) Karpal argued that the original judge's criticism had drawn an adverse inference of guilt on McAuliffe. The appeal court heard that what the original judge did was point out that McAuliffe had failed to disclose this defence of carrying an aphrodisiac to the officer who recorded a statement from him after his arrest. It was found that the judge had not drawn an inference of guilt from this. The appeal was rejected 13 May 1992. McAuliffe's family asked Malaysian authorities and the Australian government not to publicise his case. McAuliffe was executed in Kajang Prison in

Kajang Kajang is a city in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia, located southeast of Kuala Lumpur. Kajang, along with much of Hulu Langat District, is governed by the Kajang Municipal Council. Kajang town is located on the eastern banks of the L ...

Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...

, in the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area.

References

1993 deaths Australian drug traffickers Australian people executed abroad People executed by Malaysia by hanging People executed for drug offences Criminals from Sydney Year of birth missing Australian bartenders {{AUS-crime-bio-stub

Biography

See also

References