‘I will be actually doing my attack’: Terror teen’s alleged manifesto

A teenager arrested over an alleged failed terrorist attack in Newcastle vowed to behead a Labor politician, planned violent attacks against the public, and professed admiration for the Christchurch mass killer according to a hateful manifesto allegedly released in encrypted extremist groups.

The 19-year-old alleged terrorist, Jordan Patten, hoped to fight to the end but was ultimately arrested without a struggle and appeared before the courts as his own extremist followers taunted him online.

Jordan Patten was arrested after he allegedly entered Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp’s office. This image is taken from his livestream of the alleged incident. Credit: Nine News

Patten, from Raymond Terrace, allegedly livestreamed himself strapping on his military-style outfit and drawing a knife in the bathroom of Newcastle’s Civic Theatre before walking across the city’s main street and entering NSW MP Tim Crakanthorp’s office on Wednesday.

The footage shows him immediately turning around and leaving the office before walking down the main street, past members of the public, and into Newcastle Museum.

The camera kept rolling as the alleged attacker was confronted by museum staff who told him he could not enter “dressed like that”.

The alleged attacker is heard breathing heavily as the two staff, a man and a woman, refuse to back down and tell him to leave before they call police.

Patten dropped his knife on a bench outside the museum before police officers arrived, drew their Tasers and arrested him.

Premier Chris Minns, Crackanthorp, and several senior Labor figures were in Newcastle for media opportunities on Wednesday but were not nearby where the man was arrested.

The teenager appeared before Parramatta Local Court on Thursday charged with doing an act in preparation for a terrorist attack, which carries a maximum of life in prison.

The magistrate told the court Patten’s alleged crime carried “overtones of mental health” issues.

Patten sat silently behind a correctives officer, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts and no shoes, and made no application for release to bail.

Despite his silence, a 205-page manifesto allegedly authored by Patten outlined plans to “attack and try to kill every inmate or prison staff I see” if he survived long enough to be arrested.

The manifesto emerged in encrypted neo-Nazi chats shortly before the incident in Newcastle.

Patten’s brother, William Patten, told 9News he was “deeply concerned” for his brother’s welfare.

“I am deeply saddened by his [alleged] actions and choices, I do not understand his reasons,” Patten said.

Patten said his brother had “expressed sorrow” for his alleged behaviour.

Emma Patten and William Patten, the aunt and brother of alleged terrorist Jordan Patten, spoke to the media on Thursday. Credit: Nine News

“I still love him as a brother, but I cannot forgive the [alleged] actions.”

Patten’s suspected manifesto and online activities, shared with the Herald by extremism investigators from The White Rose Society, revealed the teenager had previously fantasised about murder and had described wanting to carry out a range of terrorist attacks in Newcastle and Sydney, inspired by Christchurch shooter Brenton Tarrant.

The manifesto describes a car attack on New Year’s Eve revellers in Sydney and a shooting.

The teenager was seen in tactical gear.Credit: Nine News

The author copied the format from Tarrant’s own manifesto, beginning with lengthy and often incoherent rants that range from antisemitic to anti-LGBT, anti-immigrant, anti-feminist and profoundly anti-left-wing politics.

He described himself firmly as “right wing” and a Liberal voter “at odds” with the current party.

Like Tarrant, the manifesto ends with a Q&A in which Patten, the alleged author, described bringing a knife to school to behead his school counsellor, and then his teacher.

Patten allegedly wrote in the manifesto he had plans to shoot his school or bomb it, killing dozens of people.

“The scenes in my mind also made it seem poetic to be killed by the police after killing a bunch of people,” he allegedly wrote.

In the end the author settled on a plot to behead a Labor leader – though he wondered aloud if he had the capacity to do it or whether it would just “hurt my head”.

Like his idol Tarrant, who killed 51 in the Christchurch shooting, Patten allegedly livestreamed the Newcastle incident on helmet camera.

Among those following and interacting with Patten’s accounts were neo-Nazis and members of the involuntary celibate “incel” community, who blame women for not choosing them as sexual partners.

A member of the encrypted chat wished him luck but turned to mockery once Patten surrendered.

“Autisticly walking around with a knife and get arrest without fight,” they wrote, sharing a clip of Patten’s arrest on Nine News.

Patten will remain in custody until August 21.

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