An Australian pilot convicted of drug trafficking in Papua New Guinea has lost his appeal against an 18-year jail sentence.
David John Cutmore, sentenced in October 2022, was the pilot of a plane carrying 611 kilograms of cocaine that crash-landed outside Port Moresby in July 2020. His appeal was dismissed this week by a three-judge Supreme Court panel, led by Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika.
“The sentence of 18 years was not excessive in the circumstances,” Sir Gibbs stated, adding that the use of PNG as a transit hub for drug trafficking and the exploitation of its nationals as drug mules must face stiff penalties.
Cutmore had pleaded guilty to a money laundering charge and was fined 37,000 kina (approximately USD 9,000) for illegally entering the country, breaching civil aviation laws, and flying without a licence. Unable to pay, he remains detained at Bomana Prison.
The failed operation, known as the “black flight,” also saw three Papua New Guineans and an Italian convicted last year.
The court ruled that the trial judge, Teresa Berrigan, had appropriately considered Cutmore’s medical condition, affirming the original sentence with light labour.
