Jack Laurence
π€ SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
And he simply thought, I'm home.
So, I mean, there is that relief of being home and you've come out of this with your life, obviously, intact, which is fantastic.
Was there any remnants from that moving forward?
You know, was there any issues that you dealt with?
Oh, absolutely.
I mean, my other show, I talk to men and women who are incarcerated in the United States, and a lot of them retell these horrific stories that they've been through.
And a lot have said the talking actually helps to actually kind of relive it.
And I suppose, as you said, you've probably relived this story more than anyone on that plane.
So you've been able to sort of get it off your chest, essentially.
In 2003, the American authorities would get in touch with those who were on board that flight in 1986 to inform them that the ringleader would be going on trial in the United States and would they first like to write a victim impact statement?
And secondly, did they agree with the death penalty?
Because this was the punishment the man was facing.
By 2004, he would go to trial.
And Michael, as well as the others from that day, again are contacted.
The courtroom was packed that day.
There was around 25 people who were on the plane or relatives of people who had died that day.
And of course, Michael was also there.
And that was that.
The man who had held a gun to Michael's head in the doorway of a Boeing 747, who had killed innocent people, was essentially given his own death sentence.
But his wouldn't be carried out in a split second.