The teenager charged in the terrorism stabbing of a Sydney biship faces fresh charges revealed at a court hearing on Friday.
The 16-year-old will face charges of wounding with intent to murder and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, in addition to the existing charge of committing a terrorist act.
The court was also told that investigators have identified 52,000 images and 7500 videos on the teen’s phone, some of which will require a terrorism evidence notice to access.
“That does take some time,” the crown prosecutor told Parramatta Children’s Court.
The teen will remain behind bars.
He is accused of stabbing Assyrian bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and priest Isaac Royel during a live-streamed service at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley on April 15.
The fresh intent to murder charge relates to Bishop Emmanuel, while the intent to cause grievous bodily harm charge relates to Father Royel.
The stabbing, which investigators say was religiously motivated, left Bishop Emmanuel seriously injured before the teenager was subdued.
The teen had received intermittent treatment for mental health issues for several years, his lawyer said during an earlier court appearance.
Police have also charged five other juveniles in relation to the stabbing.
Two males, aged 17 and 14, were charged with possessing or controlling violent extremist material obtained or accessed using a carriage service.
One 17-year-old boy was charged with conspiring to engage in an act to prepare or plan for a terrorist act, and custody of a knife in a public place.
Two boys, both 16, face offences for conspiring to engage in any act in preparation for or planning a terrorist act.
The alleged stabber’s matter is due to return to court on July 26.
More charged over church violence
Elsewhere, six more people have been charged over violent riots outside the Sydney church following the attacks on Emmanuel and Royel.
The latest arrests take the tally of those facing court due to the ugly melee to 29 people.
The April 15 riot, which investigators say swelled to involve 2000 people, left dozens of police officers injured and more than 100 police vehicles damaged.
Six people were arrested on Thursday, including a 17-year-old boy. Police released vision of five men, aged between 20 and 41, and the teenager on Friday.
A further seven men are being urged to contact police.
The latest charged are:
- A 41-year-old man, with rioting, to appear at Fairfield Local Court on July 3
- A 20-year-old man, with threatening violence to cause fear, unlawful assembly and behaving in an offensive manner, same court date
- A 29-year-old man and a 20-year-old man, similar offences, to appear at Fairfield Local Court on July 10 and July 17
- A 31-year-old man, with rioting, destroying or damaging property and throwing a missile at a police officer, to appear at Liverpool Local Court on July 1
- The 17-year-old boy, with rioting and destroying or damaging property during a public disorder, to appear at Parramatta Children’s Court on July 12.
Strike Force Dribs Commander, Superintendent Andrew Evans said 109 police vehicles were damaged in the riot, and 61 officers injured – some seriously.
“If they are prepared to assault police in a serious manner, I would be concerned about the behaviour generally in the community – and certainly the information we have received from the community, that would support that notion,” he said on Friday.
“The community, quite clearly, are not prepared to have violent criminal offenders undertaking those sorts of acts on the streets, public streets, towards police, the places of worship, and they have been of significant assistance to us and this investigation.”
– with AAP
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