John Killick: Top Gold Coast cop’s connection to bank robber who escaped from prison in 1999
It was Australia’s most daring prison break, as a woman using a helicopter to get her lover out. As they went on the run, one of the Gold Coast’s top cops revealed all about the man at the centre.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Few criminals in Australian history have attempted something as daring as that of bank robber John Killick.
It was 25 years ago in 1999 that Killick was sprung from jail in Sydney under infamous circumstances.
The prison break made international headlines and saw many of those who had hunted and arrested him over the years to weigh in on his behaviour.
Killick, born in 1942, spent much of his life behind bars for armed robberies, among many other crimes.
He was back behind bars again in 1999 when he would gain international fame for his most infamous deed.
His girlfriend, Lucy Dudko decided to retrieve Killick and hijacked a helicopter during a $360 sightseeing joy flight over the Sydney 2000 Olympics venues.
Wielding an inoperable Tommy gun, Dudko forced the pilot, Tim Joyce, to land the vehicle inside the grounds of Silverwater Jail and pick up the notorious criminal before escaping.
“This is a hijack,” she declared to the pilot, who was forced to bring the craft down on the oval of the prison, where Killick dashed for freedom while under fire from guards.
Now wielding the gun, Killick forced Joyce to fly for a further 10 minutes before landing near Macquarie University and tying him up with cables.
The pair then carjacked a blue Commodore sedan and went on the run.
The daring escape was inspired by the Charles Bronson film Breakout during which a man is broken out of prison in a helicopter.
Dudko had rented the film before attempting the escape. The manhunt rapidly became a national affair and was followed closely across the country.
Among those who provided analysis of the man and his methods was his frequent nemesis from earlier in his criminal career in the 1980s – Gold Coast police inspector Arch McDonald.
Insp McDonald described him as “one of the most plausible liars I have met”.
``We’re not dealing with a fellow who’s not aware of procedures and processes,’’ he said.
``He’s got a cunning and devious mind. He can plan well and execute well.’’
Insp McDonald had arrested Killick in 1984 after a series of armed robberies in Brisbane.
``He was a master of disguise. He would wear wigs and put padding in his clothing and those sort of things,’’ he told the Bulletin in 1999.
``He threatened extreme violence. The best and smartest armed robbers are very clear, very loud and demanding and don’t give the victims a chance to plot against them.
``He’s very loud and standoverish and threatening and tends to have people behave themselves and not resist.
``He’s a good talker and he used mind games and psychology. He’ll try and get you to believe he’s a nice fellow and he’s a victim of circumstances.’’
Insp McDonald said he was “not surprised” to hear Killick was behind the helicopter escape.
``He always displayed to me he had the ability to think laterally. You didn’t relax with him for one moment.
“You knew he was always plotting and conniving to deceive you.’’
Killick and Dudko were on the run for more than 45 days before they were captured south of Sydney.
Killick was released from jail after a 15-year stretch in 2015 and is now in his 80s.
He guest lectures law students at universities about his life of crime, which he has expressed remorse for.
“You can’t take back what you’ve done. You can only look forwards and do something from here,” Killick said in a 2023 interview.
More Coverage
‘Unfortunate incident’: Gold Coast cafe reopens after arson attack
Less than a fortnight after being significantly damaged in an arson attack, a Southport cafe has returned to service, as police share new information about the case.
Bowls club drunk sentenced for assaulting elderly man
A single mum’s drunken night at a bowls club ended with her assaulting a man in his 70s and a co-accused punching his face. Read what the magistrate had to say to her.