Court refuses extended supervision order application for wannabe ‘serial killer’ Marc Richardson

A psychotically ill prisoner threatened to randomly kill 15 Indigenous men upon his release from custody, but a court has decided he does not meet the criteria for a terrorism supervision order.

A psychotically ill prisoner who told jail staff he wanted to become a “serial killer” when he left custody and planned to blow up a Sydney police station will not be subject to strict anti-terrorism monitoring by authorities in the community.

State prosecutors earlier this year asked the NSW Supreme Court to impose a two-year extended supervision order on convicted armed robber and alleged right-wing advocate Marc Richardson under the Terrorism (High Risk Offenders) Act.

The state alleged Richardson fell into the category of a “convicted terrorism activity offender”, claiming he had made a series of concerning statements in prison which they said advocated support for violent extremism.

Among the disturbing comments Richardson was said to have made included plans to blow up Surry Hills and Mascot police station upon his release, and a desire to travel through rural Australia and become a “serial killer”, targeting Indigenous adult men in protest against what he believed was growing racism against Anglo-Saxons.

Medical staff who interviewed Richardson for the court proceedings all reported he harboured significant resentment towards minority groups, specifically Indigenous Australians, whom he believed received special treatment in custody.

“He stated that he didn‘t like the way Australia is changing and that it has gotten worse in the last five years,” one specialist said in a report to the court.

State prosecutors earlier this year asked the NSW Supreme Court to impose a two-year extended supervision order on convicted armed robber and alleged right-wing advocate Marc Richardson.

“He stated [that] calling Australia Day ‘Invasion Day’ was ‘putrid’.

“He also listed the perception that other minorities received preferential treatment [in custody], listing Ramadan and Chinese New Year.”

In a four-day hearing before the NSW Supreme Court, Richardson’s legal team opposed the making of the extended supervision order, arguing their client was not a terrorism threat and that his comments were the personal grievances of a mentally ill man suffering from chronic schizophrenia and anti-social personality disorder.

Justice Desmond Fagan agreed, saying he could not find that Richardson fell into the category of a “convicted NSW terrorism activity offender”, nor did his comments have any element of advocacy to them.

“The defendant has expressly disavowed any desire to change the beliefs or behaviours of others, or to bring about change in anything that is being done by governments or by any section of the public,” he said.

“Despite his disgruntlement with so much, he espouses no cause, political, ideological or otherwise …. he is just disgruntled, and if taken at his word, he is in a mood to express his disgruntlement by killing people.”

Meanwhile, the court heard Richardson had breached the conditions of an interim supervision order put in place ahead of the final hearing by refusing to wear a mandatory electronic ankle monitoring.

Richardson pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to comply with an interim supervision order in separate proceedings heard in Waverley Local Court this month.

Magistrate Ross Hudson placed him on an 18-month community correction order.

As part of the order, Richardson will receive some community supervision from a government caseworker, however the level of oversight is significantly less than that which would have been imposed under the extended supervision order.