The iconic Aussie was fond of the ‘the juice of the red grapes’
‘Democracy Manifest’ legend Jack Karlson was fed red wine through his feeding tube just before he died in true keeping with the Aussie’s character.
The larger than life Australian was renowned across the world for a video that went viral in 2009 showing a news clip of Karlson’s arrest in 1991.
Karlson was a colourful character and petty crook who upon being led out of a Chinese restaurant in Brisbane immortalised the phrase “This is democracy manifest!” inspiring a cultural reference endeared by many down under and further afield.
His niece, Kim Edwards, spoke about her uncle following his death, revealing the final surprising moments of Karlson’s 82-year-long life, including a rather strange and cheeky last request, symptomatic of the vibrant life he led.
She said: “He had a few attempts to escape and pulled his cords out a couple of times and asked us many time to sneak in his pipe.
“As a final send off, we gave uncle a last taste of red wine through his drip just before it was removed.”
Karlson’s fondness for the tipple was highlighted by the policeman who arrested him on that famous day, Stoll Watt.
Years after the clip was shot, the small-time criminal invited his rival on the other side of the law to come see him in his remote hideout for “a few.”
Watt said: “He said to me that I was the only copper he never hated.
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“He called me ‘comrade’ and he said ‘come up and spend the night with me and we’ll have a few’, he calls it, ‘the juice of the red grapes’.”
At least he died enjoying one of his greatest pleasures.
His family revealed he was suffering many ailments but eventually he died as a result of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).
Jack Karlson is just one of the many aliases the enigmatic icon employed throughout his life with more about his character set to be revealed in a documentary that is currently in the works.
The film is titled ‘The Man Who Ate A Succulent Chinese Meal’ and was filmed in 2024.
The man behind the doc, Heath Davis, is expecting “huge amounts” of other information about Karlson’s life will be revealed in after his death, giving fans plenty to look forward to in the celebration of a truly unique man.
