Sydney terror plot included knife and flag, court told

A SYDNEY teenager gave his wife a hunting knife and black Shahada flag to look after as part of their plot to carry out a terrorist attack, a jury has been told.

A SYDNEY teenager gave his wife a hunting knife and black Shahada flag to look after as part of their plot to carry out a terrorist attack, a jury has been told.

“The reason she held it was so it would be available if and when they decided on a suitable target to take on,” said prosecutor Nicholas Robinson QC on Tuesday.

Alo-Bridget Namoa is accused of plotting a terror attack with her husband.

He was continuing the Crown’s closing address at the NSW Supreme Court trial of Alo-Bridget Namoa and Sameh Bayda, both now 21, who have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to do an act in preparation for a terrorist act.

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The Crown alleges their agreement ran between December 8, 2015 and January 25, 2016, the day of Bayda’s arrest.

Police found the sheathed knife on top of the flag in Namoa’s handbag when she was staying at a friend’s place, the court heard.

Mr Robinson alleged the knife was planned to be used in a stabbing, while the flag would be displayed “as an indication of what the attack was about”. He alleged there was a “vast” amount of extremist material, including graphic videos and images, found on their phones reflecting their religious ideology of advancing Islam by violence.

The court heard Sameh Bayda gave his wife a knife and a black Shahada flag.

The court heard their alleged plot involved detonating an improvised device, an incendiary device or using a bladed weapon.

Some time before December 22, the pair decided they would do what they could to prepare for a terrorist attack to take place on New Year’s Eve, the prosecutor said.

“Bayda hoped he would live, Namoa feared he would die,” Mr Robinson said, citing communications between them.

“Bayda was out in the city dressed as Jihadi, looking for a target.” Mr Robinson alleged that, for whatever reason, it did not occur and Bayda later was looking at instructive documents relating to stabbings.

The trial is continuing.