The alleged Bondi Beach attacker who survived a shoot-out with Australian police has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder.
New South Wales police charged Naveed Akram (24) on Wednesday.
He had been arrested at the scene of the attack on a Jewish event at the beach and taken to a Sydney hospital with critical injuries on Sunday night. He woke from a coma on Tuesday.
The matter was due to be heard in court on Wednesday afternoon.
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Among the 59 offences confirmed by court staff are one count of committing a terrorist act, 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder, one count of placing an explosive in or near a building, a charge of discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and a charge of publicly displaying a terrorist symbol.
Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid Akram (50), had allegedly opened fire on those attending an event to mark the start of an eight-day Hanukkah festival at Bondi beach on Sunday.
Police have alleged that Sajid Akram – who was shot dead by officers – had legally obtained the guns used in the attack.
The mass shooting resulted 15 people being killed by the alleged attackers, including a 10-year-old child. Another 20 people remained in hospital with injuries on Wednesday.
[ In Pictures: Bondi Beach after the Hanukkah gathering massacreOpens in new window ]
The charges against Naveed Akram come a day after the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said Sunday’s attack appeared to have been inspired by Islamic State.
The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, also said on Tuesday that the father and son had allegedly travelled to the Philippines last month, with the reason for the travel remaining under investigation.
Authorities in Manila confirmed the pair listed Davao – in the country’s south – as their destination in the Philippines when they flew in on November 1st. They left the country on November 28th.
The trip to the Philippines came after Naveed Akram, who worked as a bricklayer, told his boss he was unable to work until 2026 because he had broken his hand boxing. He had also asked for all his work entitlements to be paid out.
Mr Lanyon also alleged on Tuesday, before charges being laid, that IEDs and two home-made Islamic State flags were found in a car registered to Naveed Akram that was parked at the scene of Sunday’s Hanukkah festival shooting. – Guardian
