The Hoddle Street massacre is the name given to a mass murder that occurred on the evening of Sunday, August 9, 1987 in Hoddle Street, Clifton Hill, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The shootings resulted in the deaths of seven people, and serious injury to 19 others. After a police chase lasting more than 30 minutes, 19 year old former Australian Army officer cadet Julian Knight was caught in nearby Fitzroy North and arrested for the shootings. Knight was later sentenced to seven consecutive terms of life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 27 years for the bloodiest massacre in Australian history since the Sydney Milperra massacre in September 1984, where six men and a 14-year-old girl were killed. As Knight was between 18-21, he was classed as a juvenile offender under Victorian law, which enabled him to have a chance at rehabilitation.[1]
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Knight entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon on January 13, 1987, at the age of 18. Whilst a military career had long been a dream, he performed poorly at his studies and gained good results only in weapons expertise exercises.
A night at the Private Bin nightclub in Canberra saw Knight involved in the stabbing of his sergeant and charged with assault, malicious wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was bailed to appear in court on June 12 but the case was subsequently adjourned to November 10. With his military career all but over, it was suggested that Knight should resign.
Below is a timeline of events which occurred on August 9, 1987 during the drama.
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