Public gallery cleared as IS videos played to court in Melbourne terror trial
SECTIONS of the public gallery were cleared this week in the terror trial of three men accused of plotting a Christmas attack on Melbourne’s CBD, while graphic Islamic State videos allegedly found on the men’s phone were played to the jury.
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SECTIONS of the public gallery were cleared this week in the terror trial of three men accused of plotting a Christmas attack on Melbourne’s CBD, while graphic Islamic State videos allegedly found on the men’s phone were played to the jury.
Ahmed Mohamed, Hamza Abbas and Abdullah Chaarani are on trial at the Supreme Court accused of planning a terrorist attack around Christmas in 2016.
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The trial has already lost one of it’s original 15 person jury, and the remainder was this week shown graphic videos, photographs and other Islamic State propaganda which were allegedly viewed by the men or found on their phones.
Prosecutor Nick Papas QC told the jury the three men were driven by extremist Islamic ideology and were preparing an attack on Melbourne’s CBD after Mr Chaarani and Mr Mohamed were prevented in 2015 from travelling overseas to fight in the Middle East.
Videos played to the court showed Islamic State soldiers preparing prisoners for execution and delivering threats to western world leaders.
Although edited to remove the moments of execution, Justice Christopher Beale removed several school-age children from the court.
“I’m sorry, to the school group in the public gallery, because of the nature of the material that we're about to screen, you can't come into the court, so I'll have to ask you to leave,” Justice Beale said.
Sen-Const Allison Cooper — formerly of Victoria Police Joint Counter Terrorism Task-force — told the jury video found on Mr Chaarani's phone included one titled “US spies hung from meat hooks”, which showed the graphic execution of men in an abattoir.
The three men were allegedly recorded watching a graphic Islamic State video shortly before they were arrested on December 22, 2016, the court heard.
Each of the three accused denies planning to carry out a terrorist attack.
The trial, which is expected to go for another two months, continues.