Sydney schoolgirl’s bail denied for funding terrorism

A 16-YEAR-OLD girl’s bail has been denied after she was accused of sending money to Islamic State on the instruction of her relative, notorious terrorist Ahmed Merhi.

Terror girl sobbed as bail denied

THE 16-year-old schoolgirl charged with sending thousands of dollars to terror group Islamic State group broke down and sobbed after being denied bail in a Sydney children’s court.

The Year 12 student, who cannot be identified due to her age, appeared in Parramatta Children’s Court where magistrate Paula Russell handed down the decision.

Prosecutors have alleged in court that the 16-year-old told police she did what her relative, notorious IS fighter Ahmed Merhi, told her and was in the process of wiring him thousands of dollars.

Parramatta Children’s Court heard on Wednesday it wasn’t the first time she had sent IS money, having admitted to a police source she had sent $10,000 a month earlier.

A statement of facts canvassed in court alleges the teen had a conversation with a police source in which, when “asked if the money would go to Islamic State, she says ‘Yes, I just do what Ahmed tells me to do’”.

The schoolgirl, who cannot be named, was arrested on Tuesday when counter-terrorism investigators swooped on her Guildford home and charged her with collecting funds bound for the terrorist organisation.

The court heard she could not make the transfer herself because she was under age but had a contact who could put it through on her behalf.

It’s alleged the money was handed to the girl by 20-year-old Milad Atai on Merhi’s instructions.

Atai was also arrested on Tuesday and is before the courts.

Defence barrister Michael Pickin argued it was not in the public interest to allow the girl to be pulled from school and languish in custody while she awaited trial.

He described the girl as a third-generation Australian who had lived all her life in Sydney’s western suburbs and was in her final year of high school, where she is months away from sitting HSC exams.

The barrister said there was no evidence his client had any history of radicalisation.

The magistrate is expected to hand down her decision on Thursday.

Originally published as Sydney schoolgirl’s bail denied for funding terrorism