Jury discharged for trial of Sydney couple accused of terror plot
A JURY in the trial of a teenage husband and wife accused of conspiring to prepare a terrorist attack in Sydney has been discharged.
NSW
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A JURY in the trial of a teenage husband and wife accused of conspiring to prepare a terrorist attack in Sydney has been discharged.
Alo-Bridget Namoa and her “hubby” Sameh Bayda, both 21, were on trial before a jury of nine women and three men at the NSW Supreme Court accused of conspiring to carry out a terror attack.
Justice Desmond Fagan’s reason for discharging the jury on Tuesday — the trial’s second day — cannot be published.
Earlier, the court heard that Namoa told police she kept a knife — found on top of a folded shahada flag in her handbag — for “protection”.
The court on Tuesday heard a then unemployed 18-year-old Namoa was woken in the early hours of January 13, 2016 when police carried out firearm and weapon prohibition order raids at the house she was staying at.
She got dressed into a niqab before reaching to get gloves out of her handbag, a court heard.
Two female officers from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team were inside the bedroom and stopped her.
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One Detective Senior Constable told the court that she then looked through the handbag and found a black tactical knife inside a black sheaf.
When asked about it Namoa told the officers she had it “for my protection”.
The officer then said there was a black shahada flag folded underneath the knife inside the bag.
Namoa told them: “It’s a shahada flag it’s nothing, it’s not IS, everyone has it. I used to have it hanging in my room.”
When she was asked what it said she answered: “I dunno, there is no God but God or something”.
The court heard that the flag is commonly used by Muslims as an Islamic declaration of faith and translates to “There is no God but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
During the searches, police did not locate any firearms and the knife did not contravene the orders so Namoa was unarrested and told she was free to go.
The court heard she was “cooperative” throughout the process.
The court has previously heard Namoa had a “blossoming romance” with Bayda, who she gave the pet name “booboo”.
The pair had an Islamic wedding ceremony at the end of 2015 and Namoa had saved Bayda’s number in her phone under the name “hubby”.
Crown prosecutor Nicholas Robinson said Bayda, who worked as a painter, had accessed a large amount of IS material including video of graphic executions. Other material included a document advising the “perfect place to kill” by stabbing.
Namoa had English language documents consistent with Islamic extremism and numerous videos from IS or “those with similar views”, Mr Robinson said.