A Melbourne teenager accused of plotting a school shooting and the bombing of a university in a series of handwritten notes will remain behind bars over concerns he poses an overwhelming risk to the community.
The teen appeared in a Melbourne court on Monday, where a magistrate refused his application for bail on the basis his handwritten letters showed “murderous intent” and his ability to cause harm could not be underestimated.
“The very significant risk I believe he poses to the safety of the community is overwhelming,” the magistrate said. “For as long as the applicant refuses to engage in psychiatric services so very necessary for him, he remains an unacceptable risk.”
Earlier in the hearing, the court was read excerpts from the notes allegedly written by the 19-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. In the notes, he described his weapons research as “infallible” and expressed frustration at being laughed at behind his back.
“It disgusts me when I see the lower mindsets climb the ladder with laughable ease, while I cannot even step foot upon [it]. Sickening sight when mixed with growing thoughts of future vengeance. May be too much to bear. Achievement unlocked plagueeth be unto thee,” one read.
In others, he expressed contempt for mental health professionals and the police, identified potential targets, and expressed his desire to gruesomely kill another person before taking his own life.
Credit: Matt Absalom-Wong
“I made a vow to myself. Before I commit suicide, I will take someone else’s life, and that person will die horrifically, not by a quick cut to the main artery, but brutally by bleeding to death. And then, if I have enough time, I’ll kill someone else. I’ll decapitate them and cut out their innards. I’ll dangle them all over the place until the whole room is bloodied, and then it’s my turn,” one read.
The court heard the teenager was using post boxes to order dangerous goods online without being detected.
Investigators suspect the 19-year-old could have hidden chemicals and other items in secret locations, which he referenced in notes written in a coded language and found at his family home.
Counterterrorism police are yet to track down at least 250 grams of a chemical used to manufacture explosives that was purchased online by the teenager in July, despite raiding his home on two occasions since then.
“We have concerns that we have a location which is possibly full of chemicals or guns that he has access to and no one else knows where it is,” a Victoria Police detective told the court.
As revealed by this masthead last week, the teenager had allegedly amassed a small cache of weapons, chemicals to manufacture explosives, metal parts to make a homemade gun, and tactical gear, including walkie-talkies, a ballistic vest and helmet. Some of the materials had allegedly been hidden in the garage, vents and a fence.
Handwritten notes uncovered by police during four separate raids at the teen’s family home since February outlined plans to shoot up his former high school, plant bombs at a university, derail a train using chemicals, shoot at police officers and poison the city’s water supply.
The FBI alerted Victoria Police to the risk posed by the teenager after he allegedly asked online for instructions on how to build a gun and said he wanted to “take revenge” on his high school class.
An analysis of his mobile phone by police has uncovered dozens of internet searches between July and September about shootings in the US, the Christchurch massacre, gun manufacturing instructions and dangerous chemicals.
The teenager’s defence lawyer said her client was very vulnerable in custody due to his age and autism diagnosis. She argued that deciphering the teen’s coded notes and the subsequent investigation would take a long time, potentially leaving the teenager in custody for years.
She said the teenager had mental health support available right now and was seeking to extend his NDIS arrangements to include one-on-one support, resources unlikely to be available in prison.
“He is going to get out, whether it’s today, whether it’s in six months, 12 months, whatever it is … In my submission, your honour, he could be released now, with all of the supports in place,” she said.
But prosecutor Andrej Trajkovski opposed his release arguing he posed an unacceptable risk to others and has breached bail since he was first arrested in February by importing chemicals.
“He’s been mixing chemicals which are potentially volatile chemicals that could intentionally, if not unintentionally, cause significant [harm] and could have placed the family members in danger,” he said.
“He’s been placed on bail before and has contravened bail conditions. There is no cooperation with authorities whatsoever, there’s no cooperation with the professionals willing to support him.”
The teenager will re-appear in court in November.
If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact Lifeline 131 114, or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.
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