Somali hijacker sentenced to 9 years

Asha Ali Abdille

The 36-year-old Somali refugee who attempted to hijack a small Air New Zealand plane near Christchurch in 2008 has just been sentenced at the High Court.

Asha Ali Abdille has been sent to prison for nine years after she attacked pilots with a knife, threatened other passengers and demanded to be flown to Australia.

She must serve at least six years of the sentence.

The court heard that passengers on board the plane thought they were going to die and one of the pilots can no longer fly.

Source: 3News.co.nz