Young man granted bail after allegedly threatening Glenunga High students, Jews, Gather Round, Fringe

A young Adelaide man who allegedly threatened to attack a high school and contaminate food wants to return to his job in the fast food industry on bail, a court heard.

A young man who allegedly threatened to attack Adelaide school students and contaminate foods must receive treatment for “deradicalisation”, a court says, as it heard he aims to return to his fast food job.

The man, whose identity is suppressed as investigations continue, appeared in the Supreme Court on Friday before Acting Chief Justice Mark Livesey, who accepted his ongoing bail review application.

The court heard the man wanted to return to work at a fast-food restaurant upon his release.

It previously heard he contaminated foods with lead acetate, allegedly claiming he conducted “experiments on people” to determine whether the substance could be tasted.

The man was denied bail in May after he allegedly threatened to attack, bomb and boil students of Glenunga International High School.

He has yet to plead to two counts of blackmail and one count of making it appear goods had been, or were about to be, contaminated.

Prosecutor Jessica Houlahan said the prosecution’s position on bail “had changed” due to the man’s young age and the potential three years he would spend remanded in custody while awaiting trial.

They further submitted any potential risk to the safety of the community could be “mitigated” with “extremely stringent” home detention bail conditions.

Security was ramped up at the school following the man’s arrest. Picture: Kelly Barnes

“Essentially, it’s accepted that Your Honour might find there are special circumstances justifying the applicant’s release on bail particularly taking into account his young age, the delay, and what my learned friend has outlined about the search of the premises being complete,” Ms Houlahan said.

That search, she submitted, had failed to uncover any blades, knives or a homemade switch bomb he allegedly threatened to use on school students.

“The prosecution and police do still hold concerns given the nature of the offending and the potential risk to the safety of the community; but it is accepted that if strict bail restrictions are imposed, then that risk can be mitigated,” Ms Houlahan said.

“The applicant, as I understand it, has worked in the fast food industry and expressed a desire to return to that work. Given the nature of the allegations, in particular in relation to count 3 which involved threats of essentially putting lead acetate in food that people consumed – there are concerns around that.”

During the man’s unsuccessful bail bid in May, the court was told he had allegedly:

DECLARED himself a prophet and a hero, telling the school it could choose between violent and nonviolent futures;

REPEATEDLY contacted an Advertiser journalist and made the same threats toward the school, which were immediately passed on to police;

HACKED the school’s data systems and stored information there while questioning its ability to keep students safe;

WARNED he would attack the school with a car and boil a female student in oil;

EXPANDED his threats to target members of the Jewish community, Gather Round fixtures and Fringe festival events;

THREATENED to inject lead acetate into yoghurt, brownies and jellies;

CLAIMED he had been conducting “experiments on people” to determine whether the substance could be tasted once injected into foods;

FURTHER claimed he had practised how to sever a human’s brain stem and cut their thighs;

DEMANDED $23 million in “Bitcoin and cash” in order to bring about the nonviolent future; and

BEEN arrested after unknowingly engaging with an undercover police officer online.

Security outside Glenunga International High School. Picture: Emma Brasier

The court heard Glenunga International High School received a series of “threatening” emails from the man between November 2024 and February 2025.

On Friday, the court heard both federal and state police were still working on the investigation – with Commonwealth resources being used to continue extracting data from 39 seized electronic devices.

Justice Livesey granted the man’s bail application and ordered he “attend intervention programs, counselling and treatment for deradicalisation, terrorism and violent offending”.

He deferred the matter for two months, “so as to determine whether bail shall be continued, varied, or revoked”.

The man will be released from the Adelaide Remand Centre later on Friday.

Originally published as Young man granted bail after allegedly threatening Glenunga High students, Jews, Gather Round, Fringe