Fresh charges filed in Bondi attack case
The surviving accused gunman from the Bondi Beach mass shooting has been hit with a further 19 offences as prosecutors continue working through what the court was told is an unusually large and complex brief of evidence.
Naveed Akram, 24, was before Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, where the new allegations were added to charges already laid over the December 14 attack on people gathered for a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. The matter has been described by his lawyer as “unprecedented”, with investigators still reviewing vast amounts of CCTV, digital material and other evidence.
The additional charges include 10 counts of shooting with intent to murder and six counts of discharging a firearm with intent to resist arrest, according to the court proceedings reported by Nine News and AAP. Akram is already facing 15 murder charges, 40 attempted murder charges and an allegation of committing a terrorist act. He has not yet been required to enter pleas.
Large evidence brief still under review
Prosecutor Danielle New told the court the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team was progressing through the preparation of the case, but that the evidence remained extensive. The court heard investigators were examining about 230,000 CCTV images, numerous devices and thousands of images connected to the accused and other people allegedly linked to him. Some material also requires translation.
Deputy Chief Judge Michael Antrum approved a nine-week adjournment, a longer delay than usual for a local court matter, after accepting there was a significant volume of material still to be served. The brief, he said, needed to be in proper order before the case moved forward.
Outside court, Akram’s lawyer Leonie Gittani said further charges were not unexpected in a matter of such magnitude. She said the defence was not yet in a position to enter pleas because more of the prosecution brief still had to be provided. From a legal perspective, she said, the case remained in its infancy.
Attack remains under heavy legal scrutiny
Police allege Akram opened fire alongside his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, during the Bondi Beach gathering. The attack killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, and injured dozens more. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene, while Naveed Akram was taken into custody and is being held at Goulburn’s high-security prison.
The Bondi attack has been described as Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996. The scale of the alleged offending, the number of victims and the terrorism-related allegation mean the case is likely to remain before the courts for an extended period.
A further hearing has been listed for June 29 to consider the scope of suppression orders protecting the identities of some victims and police officers. Prosecutors told the court there was a need to consider psychological harm experienced by people identified publicly in similar proceedings, and that officers involved in the response or investigation may be more confident giving evidence if their names are protected.
The next major step will be the continued service of the prosecution brief and the review of outstanding digital evidence. Until that process is complete, the defence says it cannot make decisions about pleas. The case was adjourned for nine weeks.