A 14-year-old boy facing terrorism charges in the NT has applied for bail.
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boy → face → bail
His lawyer argues he is not a danger to the community and that prolonged incarceration will worsen his mental health issues.
What's next?
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What → argue → issues
The case was adjourned until Friday, when the judge will rule on whether to grant bail.
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judge → adjourn → bail
A Northern Territory teenager charged with terrorism offences was a "young man fantasising while he's hating the world" and a "keyboard warrior" who should be "treated, not penalised" in custody, a court has heard.
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court → charge → custody
The 14-year-old — who cannot be identified for legal reasons — was arrested on October 28, after the Joint Counter Terrorism Team searched his home following a tip-off from a member of the public.
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Team → identify → public
He stands charged with one count of collecting documents likely to facilitate terrorist acts, one count of possessing violent extremist material and one count of possessing or controlling firearms and explosives manufacture material.
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He → charge → firearms
The teenager faced the NT Youth Justice Court via video link today, with his family filling the gallery as his lawyer argued he should be granted bail to continue seeing a psychologist.
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he → face → psychologist
Defence lawyer Ian Rowbottam told the court the teenager was allegedly found in possession of videos featuring white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people at two New Zealand mosques in 2019, and of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting.
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who → tell → shooting
He is also alleged to have been in possession of The Anarchist Cookbook, which was first published in the 1970s and includes instructions on how to make explosives and illicit drugs.
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which → allege → explosives
The court heard police also allege the boy had a document on his computer associated with white nationalists preparing for political conflict titled "hell fighter training", and another file featuring the words "blood lust" in red font.
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boy → hear → font
He is also alleged to have possessed instructions on making a 3D-printed, semi-automatic gun.
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He → allege → gun
Defence says teen 'troubled', not indoctrinated
Mr Rowbottam acknowledged his client had "looked at" the material, but said he was in no way dangerous, arguing "there is a very big difference between a young man fantasising while he's hating the world" and actually carrying out acts of violence.
"
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he → say → violence
Yes, he is troubled, no, he is not indoctrinated, and in my submission, the suggestion of him being a danger to anyone would [need to] rely on some assertion that he is somehow indoctrinated into the far-right ideas," he said.
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he → trouble → ideas
"He doesn't like the world, and that is a problem that needs to be dealt with [through] appropriate mental health professionals.
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that → like → professionals
"Incarceration is not going to achieve that, it will make the situation worse."
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situation → go → that
Mr Rowbottam said his client had "no finances or ability" to obtain material to make a 3D-printed gun, instructions for which he argued were "widely available on the internet".
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he → say → internet
He said while the Crown alleged the teen had a formula for gun powder, there was "no suggestion of him trying to purchase any of this".
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him → say → this
Mr Rowbottam said he had himself watched the video of the New Zealand massacre shortly after it happened and said the Columbine shooting video was "easily available" online.
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video → say → massacre
He said the videos were "available on the internet" and "you don't need to get on the dark web to find them".
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you → say → them
Mr Rowbottam said while there was no doubt those attacks were carried out by extremists, he disagreed with the Commonwealth's position that the material in itself promoted an extremist ideology.
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material → say → ideology
He said he understood "blood lust" was a "C-grade" film.
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lust → say → ?
'Acting out' after loss
Mr Rowbottam argued there were exceptional circumstances justifying the teenager's release to his mother's home, including that his stepfather had recently died, and that he should be "treated, not penalised".
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he → act → home
He proposed conditions including a curfew and no access to the internet.
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He → propose → internet
"We say the distress from the passing of his stepfather has put him in a position of acting out," he said.
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he → say → position
Mr Rowbottam said the teenager had been receiving treatment for mental health issues for the past year but since being taken into custody had only received one session with a psychologist, which his mother had paid for.
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mother → say → which
Prosecutors opposed bail, but Judge Thomasin Opie requested a report on whether the teenager could access specialist help in custody.
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teenager → oppose → custody
Judge Opie reserved her decision on bail and the boy is scheduled to return to court on Friday.
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boy → reserve → Friday
The Aporia
