A Perth man accused of throwing a homemade bomb into a crowd at an Invasion Day rally has been identified as Liam Alexander Hall, after a court lifted a suppression order on Tuesday. The 32-year-old allegedly tossed a device described as a 'fragment bomb' filled with ball bearings and screws into the crowd in Perth's CBD on January 26.
Hall is the first person in Western Australia's history to be charged with engaging in a terrorist act. Police allege the attack was nationalist and racially motivated, targeting Aboriginal people and First Nations individuals.
In Perth Magistrates Court, Magistrate Lynnette Dias rejected arguments from Hall's lawyer that his identity should remain concealed for safety reasons. The magistrate cited the serious nature of the charges and principles of open justice in allowing the name to be published.
Hall's lawyer, Simon Freitag SC, said his client was in a vulnerable mental health condition and could not attend court. A doctor's report indicated he was not fit to appear. Freitag argued that revealing Hall's identity posed an 'obvious risk' of harm, but the court found insufficient evidence to justify continued suppression.
Lawyers for the Commonwealth and WA Police supported lifting the order, citing public interest and a risk of misidentification from an incorrect image circulating on social media. The case has been adjourned for six weeks to allow for further medical assessment.
