Sydney siege: Failure in Man Monis bail hearing admitted by prosecutor

A PROSECUTOR has admitted he missed the fact Man Monis was already on bail at the time police believe he had ordered the murder of his wife.

Sheik Man Haron Monis holds a press conference after leaving Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney. The Sheik is banned from contacting any member of the families of defence force personnel after he allegedly sent offensive letters to widows of Diggers killed in Afghanistan, accusing them of being murderers. Picture: Stephen Cooper

A PROSECUTOR has admitted he missed the fact Man Monis was already on bail at the time police believe he had ordered the murder of his wife.

However the lawyer, whose identity has been suppressed, said he didn’t think it would have been relevant anyway and would not have led to a magistrate denying Monis bail.

The inquest into the Lindt Cafe siege has been told the magistrate who released Monis on bail in December, 2013, on charges of being an accessory to the murder of his wife was never told he had allegedly committed the offence while on bail for sending abusive letters to the families of dead ­servicemen.

Barrister Katrina Dawson, cafe manager Tori Johnson and Monis died in the siege in December last year.

The prosecutor at Penrith Local Court when Monis applied for bail in December, 2013, has said he cannot recall being handed a crucial document by homicide detective Senior-Constable Melanie Staples which set out that Monis had been on bail as well as other material that could have been used to oppose bail. However he said he had read Monis’ antecedents which made it clear his wife’s alleged murder occurred when Monis was on bail — but he had not picked it up.

“It is the case that I didn’t focus my mind on that particular issue,” the prosecutor said.

“That means you missed it,” said counsel for the family of Ms Dawson, Murugan Thangaraj SC.

The prosecutor: “Oh, yes.”

The prosecutor denied this bail decision was “screaming out” for a review but instead he ended his involvement with the case with a note on the official file: “No bail review recommended. OIC (Office in charge) at court. Did not urge/request consideration of review.”

The inquest before State Coroner Michael Barnes ­continues.

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Lindt siege gunman Man Haron Monis.