Appeal for men accused of plotting Sydney terrorist attack postponed
THE appeal for five men found guilty of planning a terror attack on Sydney has been delayed despite heightened court security ahead of its expected start this morning.
THE appeal for five men found guilty of planning a terror attack on Sydney has been delayed despite heightened court security ahead of its expected start this morning.
Khaled Cheikho, Moustafa Cheikho, Mohamed Ali Elomar, Abdul Rakib Hasan and Mohammed Omar Jamal were found guilty in October 2009 for a terror plot crafted between July 2004 and November 2005.
The trial was one of the longest and costliest in Australian history, including 300 witnesses called to stand and 30 days of surveillance footage.
The men were given jail terms of between 23 and 28 years in prison, and are now all appealing their convictions for conspiring to commit a terrorist act, as well as their sentences.
Sydney's Supreme Court building had extra security scanners and court officers, but the hearing has been adjourned until tomorrow.
The court heard some material hasn't been made available for the full bench of the Court of Criminal Appeal to read.
Chief Justice Tom Bathurst noted there has been "a number of directions hearings [in the appeal] before today" to prevent delays, because the hearing must be finished with seven days.
The case will sit for longer hours to finish in time, the court heard. None of the men, aged from their 20s to their 40s, are appearing in court in person or via a video link screen.
The trial, which saw 10 months of evidence and four months of jury deliberation, heard police raids of their homes uncovered rifles, bomb making instructions and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
No location was ever identified as the target of the attack. In sentencing the men, Justice Anthony Whealy said the group were driven by "intolerant, inflexible religious conviction."
The case resumes at 9.30am tomorrow.
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