‘I’m a changed man’: Tinnie terrorist wants fresh start

A man jailed over a botched terrorism plot claims he has turned his life around and just wants to live “like a normal person”.

Convicted terrorist Shayden Thorne says he’s “a changed man”.

A convicted terrorist has claimed he has turned his life around and just wants to live like “a normal person”.

Shayden Thorne was freed last year after spending less than four years behind bars for his part in a foiled jihad plot to sail to the Philippines and overthrow the government in 2016.

Thorne was one of six men — dubbed the “tinnie terrorists” — convicted over the infamous plan.

Upon his release in March 2020, Thorne was placed on a 12-month control order, which Australian Federal Police (AFP) this month sought to extend for another year, arguing the convicted terrorist still posed too much of a risk to the public.

But Thorne, who represented himself during the Federal Court hearing, opposed the extension of the court-ordered restrictions, claiming he had “done his time” and wanted to put the past behind him.

“I just want to live like a normal person in society. I can’t change the past, I’m trying for my son and my whole family,” he said.

Thorne said he had been taking part in a deradicalisation program in Perth.

“I’m excelling in it, according to West Australian police,” Thorne told the court.

Despite his efforts to “move on with his life” since his release, Thorne said he had still been unable to open a bank ­account or find a job.

“The psychological effects of the control order does play heavily on my mind … it’s one more thing to worry about,” he said.

Thorne offered to agree to a six-month extension of the order. Conditions of the order include a requirement to alert authorities to any change of address and some restrictions on phone and internet use.

Barrister Catherine Fitzgerald, for the AFP, said it was understandable “on a human level” that Thorne wanted to put the matter behind him.

“It couldn’t be said his want and need to put this behind him and dislike of the order could balance out the risk he poses,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

She said more time was needed for “ongoing assessment” of the risk Thorne posed and for the protection of the public, which could not be completed in just six months.

Justice Paul Anastassiou ­acknowledged that Thorne had made “strenuous and bona fide attempts to turn his life around”, but confirmed the interim order — leaving Thorne the subject of supervision until March 2022.