The Sydney Morning Herald
· collected 2026-09-15 · by Michael Bachelard
Story summary
Angela Bell, mother of Patrick Stevenson, a 20-year-old convert to Islam from Gold Coast, Australia, is flying to Syria despite government warnings. Her son faces charges for allegedly murdering another Australian convert, Abdullah Glen Burgess, who was shot eight times with an AK-47 rifle inside his home in Syria. Bell and human rights lawyer Bernadette Zaydan are traveling to the conflict-ridden area to support Stevenson, who is awaiting trial that could result in a death sentence if convicted.
Stevenson has been held initially at a prison for Islamic State fighters but was later transferred to a civilian jail. The prosecution's case hinges on what they claim is a confession from Stevenson, though details of its extraction are unclear. His family believes he is innocent and that the evidence against him is insufficient, citing concerns about how his alleged confession was obtained.
Stevenson’s father, Clay, visited him for a court hearing in July at a prison located in Darkush near the Turkish border. The case has garnered significant attention due to its unusual circumstances and the risks involved for both Stevenson's family members and their legal representatives traveling to Syria during ongoing conflicts.
Written for “Australian Mother Flies To Syria” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
The mother of a young Gold Coast man accused of murdering another Australian in strife-torn Syria is travelling to her son’s side, against government advice, believing he is innocent.
asserted
he → accuse → advice
Angela Bell plans to fly out this week with human rights lawyer Bernadette Zaydan to Idlib province in Syria as her son, Patrick Stevenson – a 20-year-old convert to Islam – waits in a local prison facing charges that, if proven, could result in the death penalty.
uncertain
that → plan → penalty
Stevenson has been accused by Syrian authorities of killing another Australian convert, Abdullah Glen Burgess, by shooting him at least eight times with an AK-47 rifle inside the dead man’s home.
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Stevenson → accuse → home
Burgess’ widow, Amatullah Laurie Duniam, is a witness in the case and another Australian-born convert living in Syria.
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widow → bear → Syria
There is no allegation that Stevenson was allied to Islamic State or any other terror group.
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Stevenson → be → State
After initially being investigated in a prison for Islamic State fighters, Syrian authorities transferred him to a civilian prison and charged him with the pre-meditated murder of his fellow Australian.
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authorities → investigate → Australian
Bell and Zaydan say the prosecution’s evidence relies on a confession by Stevenson obtained in unknown circumstances, and Amatullah’s witness statement.
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evidence → say → circumstances
Amatullah has so far refused offers of “blood money” payment in return for forgiveness.
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Amatullah → refuse → forgiveness
Stevenson has been diagnosed with serious learning difficulties, ADHD and probable autism.
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Stevenson → diagnose → difficulties
How and why he travelled to Syria are a mystery to his parents.
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travelled → travel → parents
The religious leaders on the Gold Coast who converted the young man have also expressed bemusement, and said that, to their knowledge, he was not radicalised.
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he → convert → knowledge
Bell told this masthead she was going to Syria to look after her son, and to help him fight the charges at a court hearing on September 23.
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she → tell → September
I cannot sit safely at home on the Gold Coast knowing Patrick is facing this on the other side of the world and wondering why his mum isn’t there,” she said.
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she → sit → world
“He’s talking to himself, refuses to eat and shower, doesn’t know where he is – sometimes he laughs and rocks.”
Stevenson’s father, Clay, visited him in prison in Darkush, a small town near the Turkish border, for a court hearing in July.
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father → talk → July
He told this masthead his son was “like a sheet of glass.
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son → tell → glass
He didn’t even know who I was.
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I → know → ?
I tried to give him a hug, and he just looked through me like I wasn’t even there”.
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I → try → me
Bell said the Australian government has provided her son a Syrian lawyer who speaks no English (Stevenson does not speak Arabic) and has refused to fund Zaydan as his Australian lawyer.
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Stevenson → say → lawyer
She said her son had been in custody since December last year, but that Australian consular officials had not visited him in prison.
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officials → say → prison
Australia has no diplomatic presence in Syria and still imposes sanctions on groups from whom the country’s new leaders have emerged.
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leaders → have → whom
Lawyer Zaydan says her client “has no idea what the hell was being said” against him.
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client → say → him
In the prosecution file, which she arranged to be translated, there was a handwritten, alleged confession “that’s very hard to read”.
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that → arrange → which
Stevenson does not read, write or speak Arabic so it was unclear who wrote it, she said.
uncertain
she → read → it
“There is no way in hell a kid from the Gold Coast would have said those things, or agreed with those things,” Zaydan said.
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Zaydan → be → things
Also on the file is a statement from the widow, Amatullah Duniam, saying she was in the neighbouring room of the apartment when Stevenson killed her husband.
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Stevenson → say → husband
“She never met or spoke with Mr Stevenson, yet she says she is 100 per cent sure she heard his voice while she was in another room at the scene of the shooting,” Zaydan said.
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Zaydan → meet → shooting
She described both key pieces of evidence as “profoundly flawed”.
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She → describe → evidence
Amatullah declined to comment saying, “we will not be speaking to the media”.
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we → decline → media
Bell said in her communications with her son before his December arrest, he had never mentioned Abdullah Burgess.
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he → say → Burgess
Zaydan says the prosecution file contains a separate statement from Stevenson that he did not kill Burgess, and an application he made for his phone and laptop, which has not been answered.
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which → say → phone
“What’s in that file is incredibly concerning, and there’s been no legal scrutiny.
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’s → ’ → file
I don’t believe from what I’ve read so far that Patrick is responsible,” Zaydan said.
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Zaydan → believe → what
“Our strategy is that unless we’re there in front of the court ... then Patrick’s legal rights will never be afforded.”
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rights → ’re → court
Bell said there was no way her son could have organised or paid for a trip to Syria on his own.
uncertain
son → say → own
Bell says Stevenson called out of the blue from Bali, then the next time they heard from him, he was in Syria.
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he → say → Syria
“This child couldn’t plan to go to the supermarket with his wallet and his shoes; if he had to buy me coffee, he couldn’t find his keys.
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he → plan → keys
He’d show up to weddings without his shoes on,” she said.
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she → show → weddings
His medical file, provided to the Syrian court, says: “Patrick has struggled with inattention, forgetfulness, and organisational abilities throughout his life.
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Patrick → provide → life
He has difficulty completing multi-step tasks and often leaves things unfinished.
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He → have → things
His ADHD symptoms have impacted his education.”
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symptoms → impact → education
…and 19 more, not listed.
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