Accused Sydney stabber Mert Ney was let off weapon charge after being found with knuckledusters
The knife-wielding attacker who was caged in a milk crate by hero bystanders after he allegedly killed a woman and stabbed another was freed by a magistrate on a weapon offence two months ago. INTERACTIVE TIME LINE OF EVENTS
The loner suspected of slashing the throat of a sex worker and stabbing another woman in Tuesday’s CBD bloodbath was let off by a magistrate just two months ago after being caught with knuckledusters.
Mert Ney, 21, who has a history of mental health problems, homelessness and drug use, was given a conditional release order with a conviction recorded in Blacktown Local Court in June.
Police seized the weapons when they were called to his family’s home at Marayong, in Sydney’s west, under a “concern for welfare”.
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Court documents reveal Ney pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon without a permit and was sentenced to a conditional release order for nine months on conditions including that he does not commit another offence in that time. The conditions also included that he seek mental health help.
It is not known whether that was followed up but Ney presented at Blacktown Hospital’s emergency department last Wednesday, August 7, suffering from a drug overdose.
He left the hospital through the ambulance doors at 6.15am on August 8, with police later notified.
It’s understood that police were looking for Ney after a domestic violence issue was reported last week relating to his sister.
Attorney-General Mark Speakman said: “As the distressing events in the Sydney CBD are now the subject of a police investigation, at this stage any comment about the suspect’s history would be inappropriate.”
Homicide detectives investigating where Ney has spent the past five days believe he had a previous relationship with the prostitute, 21, after he met her online through the Locanto website under the section for “men seeking women”.
Police have discounted any formal links to terrorist organisations despite an apparent obsession with mass murders, including the right-wing killings carried out by Australian gunman Brenton Tarrant in Christchurch which left 51 people dead.
But they have not ruled out laying terror-related charges. A “thumb stick” drive with information about the New Zealand massacre and similar killings in the US was found on the crazed 21-year-old when he was tackled to the ground after yesterday’s frenzied attacks.
Police have now formed Strike Force Lalchere to investigate the attacks. The strike force will comprise detectives and officers from the Homicide Squad and Central Metropolitan Region, with assistance from the Terrorism Investigation Squad.
Witnesses also heard him yelling “Allahu Akbar” as he jumped on the bonnet and top of a black Mercedes Uber car waving a kitchen knife.
“There was certainly information found on him about mass casualties around the world,” NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said yesterday.
“I believe some of them around North America and New Zealand.”
Mr Fuller said the man could be facing murder and serious assault charges, as well as terror-related charges.
“He is by definition at the moment a lone actor, information was found on him that would suggest he had some ideologies in relation to terrorism but he has no links to terrorism,” Mr Fuller said.
He confirmed Ney had a history of mental health problems.
The single-storey home in Percy St, Marayong where Ney grew up in a traditional Turkish family was blocked off last night.
His family left the property as police looked through his personal belongings for clues on what led up to yesterday’s knife frenzy.
Ney is believed to be estranged from his family and became increasingly more reclusive two years ago when his parents split and his father, an IT consultant, moved to London.
Neighbours remember him walking down the street shouting: “There is no god.”
“His mother would say she never believed in god and Mert started saying the same, shouting in the street ‘there is no God’,” neighbour Hulya Sert, 55 said.
“He was Muslim but he never went to any mosques and said he didn’t believe in religion.”
Others told how he blasted radio music into the early hours from his bedroom unaware of the racket he was making causing neighbours to frequently complain.
“He played pop music all night, sometimes ‘til 3am, waking people up, his mum would yell at him to stop when the police knocked at the door but he always looked confused, like he didn’t know it was a problem,” taxi driver and neighbour Hamid Alizadeh said.
Peers at Marayong Public school recall a “weird” loner who never spoke a word to anyone in the seven years he was there.
“He was the weirdest guy who never said a word, not one, his head was always down in a book and in the breaks he would stand alone, never speaking to anyone,” former school pupil Rola Elomari, 20, said. “He was a year above me but he stood out for being alone.”
Ney was not on the radar of the counter-terrorism or fixated persons unit.
He was arrested and taken to Day Street Police Station but later transferred to RP Hospital where he was last night being assessed.
If you or someone you know needs help, mental health support or emotional assistance, contact Lifeline Services on 13 11 14.
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