Campground shooting brother too injured to front court
The elder brother and terror suspect who was gunned down by police at a Murray River campground was absent from court today as he continues to recover from his injuries.
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A terror suspect shot in a clash with police on the Victorian-New South Wales border has been too injured to face court.
Joshua Clavell, 30, was due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today charged with a series of offences relating to the campsite confrontation in Barnawartha North last Wednesday night.
But his Legal Aid lawyer asked magistrate Johanna Metcalf to hear the brief administrative hearing in his absence as he remains in St Vincent’s Hospital with serious injuries.
She said Mr Clavell had given her permission to proceed without him in a phone call from his hospital bed this morning.
“He’s currently receiving medical treatment,” she said. “He has quite serious injuries.”
She anticipated he would remain in hospital for “a number of weeks”.
Mr Clavell was extradited to Victoria on Monday after facing court in Albury charged with seven counts of assaulting police, and intentional and aggravated exposure of a police officer to risk by driving.
He is also charged with causing damage to an emergency service vehicle by reckless driving.
Charge sheets released by the court say Mr Clavell rammed the police vehicle before “charging at police with a large knife”.
His 19-year-old brother Joel who was also shot by police in the incident remains under police guard at The Alfred hospital with critical injuries.
Detectives from the Armed Crime Squad were expected to visit him at hospital to check on his condition this afternoon. He is yet to be charged.
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The Herald Sun revealed last week that the brothers were from South Australia and that counter-terrorism officers had been watching Joshua Clavell for two years.
Police said Joshua 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 Ross Guenther said after the brothers were arrested.
It was also revealed the brothers are the sons of notorious fugitive Rodney Clavell, who took his own life during a dramatic 2014 siege in the Adelaide CBD.
Joshua Clavell made no application for bail.
His case was adjourned to September 9.