Greg Ceissman: Alleged extremist breaches court order

A man who was radicalised in jail and allegedly plotted an attack on a police station is back before the courts after police monitored his internet searches.

Accused terrorist sympathiser Greg Ceissman has pleaded guilty to breaching his supervision order despite being warned to quit watching violent video game clips online, a court has heard.

On Tuesday (November 30) documents tendered to Central Local Court stated he had only been released from custody for a month when in May this year he breached his Extended Supervision Order made under the Terrorism High Risk Offenders Act by watching a YouTube clip about video game Call of Duty.

The 27-year-old Surry Hills man has never been charged with terrorism related offences.

However, he was issued the supervision order in 2018 after corrective services received information he had been radicalised in prison and was plotting an attack on Marrickville Police Station while serving a four year prison sentence for charges including assault police and dangerous driving.

Greg Ceissman outside court in 2018. Photo: John Grainger

According to court documents, police were remotely monitoring Ceissman’s internet use after his recent release from custody and found he was watching numerous online videos which breached the order.

“This included streams of first person and third person shooter-based games and videos relating to the use and training of firearms and weaponry.

“The offender is also captured watching a significant amount of material relating to conflict in the Middle East, the war on terrorism and general military videos,” the agreed facts read.

“There are Al Jazeera and The Guardian videos relating to the Taliban and other proscribed terrorist organisations.”

Ceissman was given a written direction specifying he must not view any content relating to first or third person shooter games, after which there was a “significant reduction” in the number of videos being watched.

However on May 11 he watched a live stream of a game and on May 10 a 23 second video titled “5 COD (Call of Duty) mobile things that make 0 sense”.

The video depicts a female game character being shot in the head three times.

He was arrested the following day at his home, during which he had a short tussle with officers.

Greg Ceissman. Photo: John Grainger

When taken to Surry Hills police station, Ceissman threw part of his ankle bracelet to the ground damaging the $450 piece of equipment.

Ceissman pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the supervision order, resisting an officer in the execution of their duty and destroy or damage property.

Legal aid lawyer Claire Stimpson said Ceissman would defend an allegation he intimidated a female law enforcement officer by making a threat against her over the phone.

Ceissman did not apply for bail and he will fight the charge of stalk/intimidate a law enforcement officer in a one-day hearing on February 3.

Ms Stimpson asked Magistrate Robert Williams for Ceissman to attend the hearing in person so she could receive “confidential and prompt instructions” while defending her client.

The request was granted provided logistics allowed it.