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| Melbourne trio to stand trial over allegedly planning Christmas Day terrorist attack | Melbourne trio to stand trial over allegedly planning Christmas Day terrorist attack |
| (5 months later) | |
| Police allege the Islamic State-inspired young men were plotting to detonate improvised explosive devices in the centre of the city | |
| Australian Associated Press | |
| Thu 24 Aug 2017 09.39 BST | |
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| Three young men will stand trial for allegedly plotting to detonate Christmas Day bombs in one of Melbourne’s busiest entertainment precincts in an Islamic State-inspired attack. | Three young men will stand trial for allegedly plotting to detonate Christmas Day bombs in one of Melbourne’s busiest entertainment precincts in an Islamic State-inspired attack. |
| The men have been charged with conspiring to plan a terrorist attack with improvised explosive devices across an area taking in Federation Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, Flinders Street railway station and the Young & Jackson Hotel. | The men have been charged with conspiring to plan a terrorist attack with improvised explosive devices across an area taking in Federation Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, Flinders Street railway station and the Young & Jackson Hotel. |
| On Thursday, following a four-day committal hearing in Melbourne, magistrate Peter Mealy directed Hamza Abbas, 22, to stand trial even though the evidence against him was “tenuous and weak”. | On Thursday, following a four-day committal hearing in Melbourne, magistrate Peter Mealy directed Hamza Abbas, 22, to stand trial even though the evidence against him was “tenuous and weak”. |
| Lawyers for Abbas say there is no evidence their client was part of a conspiracy but Mealy said that would be up to a jury to decide. | Lawyers for Abbas say there is no evidence their client was part of a conspiracy but Mealy said that would be up to a jury to decide. |
| On Wednesday, Ahmed Mohamed, 24, and Abdullah Chaarani, 26, were directed to stand trial after they pleaded not guilty. | On Wednesday, Ahmed Mohamed, 24, and Abdullah Chaarani, 26, were directed to stand trial after they pleaded not guilty. |
| Police surveillance teams observed Abbas and Mohamed buying hydrogen peroxide from the Campbellfield Chemist Warehouse on 2 December 2016. | Police surveillance teams observed Abbas and Mohamed buying hydrogen peroxide from the Campbellfield Chemist Warehouse on 2 December 2016. |
| CCTV footage also shows the pair meeting on the steps of Federation Square on 20 December with Chaarani and Ibrahim Abbas, Hamza’s older brother. | CCTV footage also shows the pair meeting on the steps of Federation Square on 20 December with Chaarani and Ibrahim Abbas, Hamza’s older brother. |
| Evidence tendered to court includes police phone taps of conversations between the men, which allegedly reveal them planning the Christmas Day bombings, listening to pro-jihad and extremist propaganda, and watching Isis videos. | Evidence tendered to court includes police phone taps of conversations between the men, which allegedly reveal them planning the Christmas Day bombings, listening to pro-jihad and extremist propaganda, and watching Isis videos. |
| Police allege the recordings include one of the men being “excited” after watching a jihadi beheading video. | Police allege the recordings include one of the men being “excited” after watching a jihadi beheading video. |
| “Things like this make me can’t wait,” a transcript contained in court documents read. | “Things like this make me can’t wait,” a transcript contained in court documents read. |
| Police suspect that just weeks before the alleged attacks planned for Christmas Day, the men tested an improvised explosive device at a rural location in Clonbinane, about an hour north of Melbourne. | Police suspect that just weeks before the alleged attacks planned for Christmas Day, the men tested an improvised explosive device at a rural location in Clonbinane, about an hour north of Melbourne. |
| The three men have been remanded in custody and are due to appear before the Victorian supreme court on Tuesday. | The three men have been remanded in custody and are due to appear before the Victorian supreme court on Tuesday. |
| Melbourne | |
| Victoria | |
| Australian police and policing | |
| news | |
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