Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

Dominic Bird a no show in Perth

Australian Dominic Bird was due in Perth on Saturday after being acquitted of drugs charges and dodging the death penalty in Malaysia but failed to arrive.

Australian man Dominic Bird
Dominic Bird is headed back to Australia after being acquitted of drugs charges in Malaysia. (AAP)

An Australian man expected in Perth after being acquitted by a Malaysian court of drug trafficking charges that carried a mandatory death penalty has failed to show.

Dominic Bird, 34, was scheduled to arrive home about 2.30pm (WST) on Saturday, bringing to a close an ordeal of more than two years during which he twice overcame efforts by Malaysian authorities to have him executed after he was accused of supplying an undercover detective with 167 grams of methamphetamine in March 2012.

Under Malaysian law, possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine carries a mandatory death sentence.

Mr Bird was acquitted in September 2013 but re-arrested as he prepared to board a flight back to Perth after the Malaysian Department of Public Prosecutors (DPP) launched an 11th-hour appeal.

The Malaysian Court of Appeal rejected the DPP's case on Wednesday, upholding the original trial decision, and the DPP has confirmed in writing to AAP that the matter will not be pursued further.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

It's understood Mr Bird departed Malaysia at 8.30am local time on Saturday on an AirAsia flight bound for Perth.

However, there was no sign of him at the other end of the journey. It is not known if he is still in Malaysia, has flown to another destination or is arriving on a later flight.


2 min read

Published

Updated


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world