3 weeks ago
Prosecutors successful Australia said Wednesday that a 15-year-old boy charged on pinch different teens successful a stabbing astatine a religion successful Sydney plotted an onslaught against nan Jewish community. Photo by Bianca De Marchi/EPA-EFE
May 1 (UPI) -- Australian prosecutors based on connected Wednesday that a 15-year-old progressive successful a stabbing astatine a Sydney tribunal wanted to onslaught Jewish organization members but his lawyer said his talk was thing much than boasting.
The revelations came during a hearing wherever a judge was determining whether to merchandise nan younker connected bail. The Joint Counter Terrorism Team arrested nan boy and others connected to the April 15 stabbing attack connected Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and 3 others wrong a religion astatine Wakeley successful occidental Sydney.
The boy, who is officially charged pinch colluding to prosecute successful immoderate enactment successful mentation for aliases readying a violent act, sent messages to others successful a group chat connected nan messaging app Signal called "Plans" expressing his information to harm Jewish people.
"I want to do it to a bunch of Jews," nan boy said connected a group chat connected April 20, according to prosecutors. "I want to do it bad. Don't youse want to do an attack? What astir Palestine? I want to onslaught Jews here."
The boy's lawyer Ahmed Dib said his customer was simply putting connected a "macho" capacity successful nan messages.
"This is simply a young personification venting thing wrong, deranged but that doesn't spell to nan spot of nan prosecution's case," Dib told nan court. "It wouldn't beryllium extracurricular of nan realm of anticipation that a 15-year-old is trying to brag and beryllium macho astir thing that he has nary relationship to."
Dib besides based on that nan conversations shared successful tribunal did not constitute "substantial planning."
"In position of taking proactive steps, this was a young personification venting unethically, it's deranged, but does not spell to spot of prosecution case," he said.
Prosecutors told nan court, though, nan boy was already connected bail successful a abstracted incident connected April 22 wherever he was portion of a group accused of throwing rocks and a plank of wood that conscionable missed nan suspect.
They noted nan teen had a weapon successful his possession during this incident, but Dib cited his restraint successful not utilizing it.
He said it was a "significant jump" to spell from throwing a woody plank to plotting a violent attack.
"He does not propulsion that weapon retired astatine immoderate point," Dib said. "He complies pinch police, it's a very different type of personification to nan 1 described arsenic having imaginable to transportation retired [a] panic attack."
The judge adjourned nan tribunal until Thursday without making a ruling connected bail.
