Bourke St terrorist Hassan Khalif Shrie Ali’s bail extended weeks before deadly rampage
The way information is shared between federal and state agencies is likely to be reviewed after the Bourke St terror attack, the state Government says. Police who bailed him just weeks before the murderous attack were unaware that federal authorities had deemed him a terrorist risk.
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The way information is shared between federal and state agencies is likely to be reviewed after the terror attack in Melbourne’s CBD, the Andrews Government says.
It was revealed yesterday that police who bailed Bourke St killer Hassan Khalif Shire Ali just weeks before he launched his murderous attack were unaware that federal authorities had deemed him a terrorist risk.
In October, after an arrest warrant was issued for Shire Ali when he failed to appear in court on a string of driving offences, his bail was extended for three months.
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This occurred despite the radicalised jihadi’s lengthy record of thumbing his nose at courts and their orders, and his passport being cancelled in 2015.
Premier Daniel Andrews said police and security partners had done “their very best in very challenging circumstances” but any improvements in process would be considered.
“There’s always learnings, there’s always a process of review,” he said.
“I think the ASIO culture is one of trying to bring about continuous improvement. They will want to learn from this … just as they have from other cases.”
Police Minister Lisa Neville said the government had funded a counter-terrorism command structure that enabled Victorian officers to work with federal authorities.
But she said that there would be a review of the process in relation to the Bourke St case.
“One of the things out of this process (which) will be important to look at (is) information sharing,” Ms Neville said.
“If there is any learnings out of this around information sharing I am confident that both the federal agencies as well as the state agencies will do all we can to strengthen this arrangement.”
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy continued to hammer the government over law and order problems, and said a Liberal Nationals government would come down hard on bail breachers.
“In the first 100 days we will ensure that all of those people who have breached their bail conditions will be taken back for incarceration,” he said.
“It’s a big deal to breach bail, it’s not a small offence.”
Mr Guy, who has been accused of politicising the Bourke St incident, said bail laws must be tougher.
“We must get back in control of our safety, we must get back in control of our streets,” he said.
“We must audit our bail system, we must toughen our bail laws. “
On four occasions since August last year, Shire Ali had failed to attend court, where he was facing two sets of charges relating to traffic offences and breaches of bail.
In 2015, Shire Ali’s passport was cancelled over fears he was trying to go to Syria to fight for Islamic State.
But neither Victoria Police nor Victoria’s courts were made aware of this.
A week ago on Friday, Shire Ali set a utility laden with gas cylinders on fire in Bourke St and went on a stabbing rampage, killing Pellegrini’s owner Sisto Malaspina and wounding two others.
Though he had been questioned by the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation, he was not under surveillance.
Shire Ali’s rap sheet from before 2015 showed he had little regard for the law: offences included burglary, receiving stolen goods, possessing and using cannabis, driving an unregistered vehicle, failing to appear in court, and breaching court orders.
State Attorney-General Martin Pakula said yesterday that ideally, Victoria Police would have been told about the cancellation of Shire Ali’s passport.
Mr Pakula said: “In a perfect world all the information held by every authority — state and federal — should be shared with one another.”
But he said there were about 20,000 driving licence cases a year and it was unfair to expect “perfect foresight” from police about what other crimes those charged might commit.
“It is not at all common for police to seek to remand people charged with driving offences, even in circumstances where they don’t attend in court — particularly if they don’t have a history of violent offences,” Mr Pakula said.
But Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said yesterday Shire Ali’s long history of breaching bail and failing to appear in court was “an indictment”, and he should have been remanded.
“That he could ignore the law and walk free in contempt of it is appalling,” he said.
And Victims of Crime Commissioner Greg Davies said the bail matter was beginning to ring “alarm bells.”
“I hope these alarm bells don’t signify we have victims of terrorism we shouldn’t have had,” he said.
Court records show a warrant was issued for Shire Ali’s arrest after he failed to appear at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on April 11 last year to face charges of speeding (82kmh in a 60kmh zone) and driving while suspended.
His bail was forfeited on August 7 last year, at Werribee Magistrates’ Court. Six months later, on February 5, he failed to appear at the Werribee court and a warrant was issued.
In 2012, Shire Ali was put on a 12-month Community Corrections Order, involving 250 hours’ unpaid community work and regular drug testing and rehabilitation, on charges of burglary and obtaining stolen goods.
But he breached the CCO.
In re-sentencing, a magistrate extended the CCO to two years, and ordered he return to court three months later.
But he did not turn up.
In 2014, he was found to be in breach of his CCO again, and was given a wholly suspended two-month jail term and fined $1500.
A Victoria Police spokesman said: “As the matter is before the Coroner it would be inappropriate to comment.”
A Police Association spokesman said it was not uncommon for people who failed to appear in court over minor traffic matters to be re-bailed.
“When police are dealing with very minor matters, they have to be practical, given there is little or no chance of jail time or further remand,” the spokesman said.