Killer cabbie back on the road

November 26, 2008
The Australian

The tribunal heard XFJ, an African refugee, repeatedly knifed his new wife in the head and stomach in a frenzied attack in 1990. Deeply depressed, he tried to hang himself - but failed when a tree branch broke.

A jury acquitted him of murder on the ground of insanity. He was detained in a psychiatric institution until his release under supervision about 10 years ago...

This video says he is from Ethiopia.

Herald Sun editorial

There was also concern that it would not be fair to ban the former psychiatric patient because of "wild prejudice".

Just as it would not be right to ban "a gay taxi driver" because some people might feel "uncomfortable with homosexuals". The same would apply to banning an "AIDS sufferer in remission and on medication" because some people might feel uncomfortable in a taxi being driven by such a person.

But do any of these bizarre comparisons override a concern about members of the public being driven by someone who killed his wife and was judged insane, in spite of reassurances about his recovery?