Alleged Bondi terrorist Naveed Akram has been hit with a series of fresh charges including multiple counts of attempted murder, as new details of evidence in the case against him were revealed in court.
Akram was previously charged with 59 offences, including terrorism, 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of attempted murder over his alleged role in the mass shooting at the Chanukah By The Sea event at Bondi Beach in Sydney’s east on December 14.
The Downing Centre Local Court was told on Wednesday that a further 19 court attendance notices were filed. These consist of 10 counts of shooting with intent to murder, three counts of causing wounding with intent to murder, and six counts of discharging a firearm with intent to resist arrest.
The Commonwealth director in the matter asked the court for an adjournment to serve the brief of evidence in August. “We are progressing really steadily and well through the preparation of this matter towards charge certificate,” she said. “There are 19 additional court attendance notices being filed today. In addition to that, we are reviewing some 230,000 images from CCTV from numerous devices from other persons purportedly linked to the accused … and some of them require translations.”
An interim non-publication order was also made in the interest of protecting some of the victims mentioned in the new court attendance notices. The court was also told the joint counter-terrorism team is providing an updated set of facts; however, the Commonwealth says they haven’t had a chance to review those.
Akram’s lawyer, Leonie Gittani, said outside court that the new charges being laid was “not surprising.” “He was sort of aware of it on the last occasion… the additional charges being laid,” she said. “So it’s a process now that we’ve got to follow - that’s essentially all I can say at the moment. There’s still a fair way to go… there’s still a brief to be served so until that time we are unable to enter any pleas.”
When asked about the 230,000 files that must now be sifted through, Ms Gittani said they had a “big job” ahead of them. “It’s an unprecedented amount… like I said there is a lot to get through, so we’ve got a big job to do,” she said.
Akram’s father, Sajid, 50, was shot dead by police during the attack, which police allege was inspired by ISIS. Akram was shot in the abdomen and taken to hospital before he was charged. He remains on remand in Goulburn Supermax prison. He has not yet entered any pleas and will return to court on August 12.
