Man, 20, pleads guilty to planning a terror attack in Sydney


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A young Sydney man accused of planning a terrorist attack has pleaded guilty on the day he was expected to face trial.


Tamim Khaja was arrested in May 2016 during a joint NSW and Federal Police operation for sizing up potential target buildings in Sydney.


He was also accused of attempting to obtain weapons and a flag of the Khilafah between May 11-18 in what police believed was a lone-wolf plan.


Khaja, who was aged 18 at the time of the offences, was expected to face trial at Parramatta Supreme Court on Monday before Justice Desmond Fagan, but instead he entered a plea of guilty.


The court heard Khaja, who is classified as one of the most high-risk prisoners, is to enter a de-radicalisation program in jail.



Justice Fagan was eager to consider evidence about such a program before proceeding to sentence.


He was “not at all happy” with the delay proposed by Khaja’s legal team, which pushed for a sentencing date in February.


Khaja was planning what was “effectively a mass-murder attack” in the interests of pursuing Islamic dominance of the country, Justice Fagan said.


“The idea that a person can be rehabilitated from such views of religious zeal by a program needs some substantiation,” he told the court on Monday.


“My real concern with offences of this nature is the risk to the community and the downside of that risk is extremely grave.”


Khaja had not committed the offence in “a moment of rage or some passion”, the judge said, but in relation to a philosophy.


“When a person is convinced of a philosophy to the point of considering it warrants mass murder, one is really concerned,” Justice Fagan said.


Khaja’s lawyer Greg Scragg agreed the offences were “extremely serious” but said it was in the interests of justice the young man have more time to prepare his sentence submissions.


Mr Scragg said the defence team would submit a psychiatric report, character evidence from friends and family and material from NSW Corrections.


“Since he’s been in custody, the overall assessment of him is that he’s been a model prisoner,” Mr Scragg said.


The hearing continues.


Article source: http://watoday.com.au/sport/cricket/john-hastings-retires-from-firstclass-and-oneday-cricket-20171006-gyvpbh.html

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