Prison authorities and the government are facing a dilemma – what on earth are we going to do with Julian?

The Julian in question is Julian Knight who on August 9, 1987, went to Hoddle Street, Collingwood, and fired 200 rounds of military-standard ammunition, killing seven people, wounding 19 and shooting the police helicopter. He was 19 years old.

Julian Knight in 1987 and a scene from the Hoddle St shootings; Knight in 2004. Credit: THE AGE

Knight pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life with a minimum of 27 years. There was little outrage at such a tiny sentence for a mass killer back then, but as the time came for him to be eligible to apply for parole the public mood had changed.

In 2014, the then Coalition state government brought in one-off legislation shutting the cell door

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