Later, he led a hermit's life in the years leading up to the incident[2] in a bush camp in the Killanbutta State Forest near Molong, "off the grid" without a telephone or electricity.
[3] On 16 July 2001, Knight walked into the East Melbourne Fertility Clinic, a private abortion provider, carrying a rifle and other weapons,[4] including 16 litres (3.5 imp gal; 4.2 US gal) of kerosene, three lighters, torches, 30 gags, and a handwritten note that read "We regret to advise that as a result of a fatal accident involving some members of staff, we have been forced to cancel all appointments today".
He developed homemade mouth gags and door jambs to restrain all patients and staff inside a clinic while he doused them with the kerosene.
Due to his isolated life, Victorian Police were unable to confirm his identity[5] until three months after his arrest, even though his photographs were published in major newspapers.
[3] After choosing to not obtain legal representation,[3] Knight was found guilty by a jury[6] and, on 19 November 2002, he was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum non-parole period of 23 years.