Accused Flinders St driver Saeed Noori faces court

POLICE believe Saeed Noori wanted to kill or maim as many people as possible when he rammed his car through pedestrians on Flinders Street last week.

POLICE believe Saeed Noori wanted to kill or maim as many people as possible when he rammed his car through pedestrians on Flinders Street last week.

But his lawyer Tas Antos has already indicated Noori may be too mentally unwell to be prosecuted.

A police summary released today by Magistrate John Hardy said Noori’s motives remained unclear, but that he wanted to cause carnage.

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Accused Flinders Street rampage driver Saeed Noori (centre) leaves the Melbourne West Police Station on Saturday. Picture: Mark Stewart

Emergency services workers treating the injured immediately after the incident. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

“It is alleged the accused drove a motor vehicle into pedestrians ... with the intention of killing or causing really serious injury to as many people as possible,” a police summary states.

Noori appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today charged with 18 counts of attempted murder following last week’s Flinders Street incident.

The 32-year-old was placed behind protective glass and stared at the floor for the duration of the short hearing.

Defence lawyer Tas Antos said Noori needed to be assessed for mental impairment and that his fitness to plead may be an issue.

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Saeed Noori's mother leaves the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

“There are issues in and around impairment and or fitness to plead,” Mr Antos said.

The Herald Sun revealed this week that Noori’s mother Shakiba Jalaly believed her son had been ruined by drugs.

Ms Jalaly said Noori has a two-year-old son and his wife is pregnant with their second child but that her son had fallen through the cracks.

“Beautiful son, drug no good. Three years sick, very sick. All the time he’s sick,” she said.

“Very, very beautiful son. Beautiful son, drug no good, all the time drug.”

After his arrest, Noori made comments about the poor treatment of Muslims.

Twenty people were hospitalised, including alleged driver Noori, of Heidelberg West, and the off-duty police officer who arrested him, after a white SUV ploughed through pedestrians crossing Flinders Street last Thursday.

Flowers at the scene 24 hours after the incident. Picture: David Caird

The crashed Suzuki in Flinders St after hitting a tram stop. Picture: Michael Klein

Twelve have been discharged, while eight remain under care, with two in a critical condition.

An 83-year-old Brunswick man and two South Korean men in their 60s were initially listed as critical but one has since improved, police said.

All up, eight of the pedestrians involved remain in hospital nearly a week after the evening peak hour incident.

Mr Hardy said Noori was on many medications he knew were used to treat mental illness and remanded him in custody to reappear in May.

“Your best interest will be served if you continue to take the medicine you have been prescribed,” Mr Hardy said to Mr Saeed.