Brothers plead guilty to campsite clash with police
Two brothers with extremist Islamic beliefs — sons of a notorious fugitive — who were shot when police swooped on their Murray River campsite have pleaded guilty to striking out at police.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two police-hating brothers with extremist Islamic beliefs have admitted clashing with officers in a dramatic confrontation on the Murray River.
Joshua Clavell, 30, and his younger sibling Joel, 19, were both shot when police swooped on their campsite at Barnawartha North on June 12.
The eldest, who had been under the watchful eye of counter-terrorism officers for two years, rammed a police vehicle before charging at police with a large knife during the showdown.
Joel was shot when he ran at investigators with a small axe.
Recovered from their injuries, the pair faced Wodonga Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday where it was revealed they had resolved the matter in a plea deal with the prosecution.
Joshua pleaded guilty to two charges: intentionally expose a police officer to risk through driving and assault police.
Joel, who was originally facing 18 charges, pleaded guilty to four counts of assault emergency worker on duty and three counts of make a threat to kill.
A more serious charge of reckless conduct endangering life in which they were both facing was struck out.
They made no application for bail and were remanded to face the County Court, sitting in Wodonga, on February 3.
The Herald Sun earlier revealed the brothers were from South Australia and were the sons of notorious fugitive Rodney Clavell, who took his own life during a dramatic 2014 siege in the Adelaide CBD.
Mr Clavell Snr had escaped death when shot by police 10 years earlier.
Two of his other sons, Daniel and Richard, have done lengthy jail terms in South Australia for drugs, weapons and assault offences.
MORE NEWS
POLICE SLAMMED FOR DELAYING LAWYER X FILES
INFLATION SHOOTING COUPLE RESOLVES LAWSUIT
PELL COULD MAKE BAIL BID AHEAD OF APPEAL
At the time Joshua and Joel were arrested on the Victorian-NSW border, Victoria’s top counter-terror officer, Ross Guenther, said the eldest had converted to fundamental Islam several years ago and had indoctrinated two of his three brothers.
“Both these persons of interest are what we could call Muslim reverts,” Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Guenther said.
“I understand the older one has a history of a pretty strong hatred of the police.”