Brisbane Teenager Found Not Guilty of Planning Terrorist Attack
A 17-year-old Queensland boy, who cannot be named due to state youth justice laws, has been acquitted by a Supreme Court jury in Brisbane of one count of acts done in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act. The verdict was delivered after more than a day of deliberation.
The jury acquitted the defendant after a 10-day trial.
The Allegations
The Crown alleged that the defendant, then aged 15 and attending a private school, planned to detonate a homemade bomb at a Labour Day march in Brisbane in early May 2024. The attack did not occur. Prosecutors stated the defendant later shifted his target to members of the Liberal Party, citing the party's policy on nuclear power.
The prosecution presented evidence including WhatsApp messages, diary entries, receipts for purchased equipment, and videos allegedly showing the defendant testing potential explosives. A search of the defendant's home reportedly found chemicals wrapped in aluminium foil.
According to the Crown, the defendant was influenced by American terrorist Ted Kaczynski, known as the "Unabomber". Prosecutor Sally Flynn KC told the jury the defendant researched bomb-making, purchased materials, and tested them. The court heard the defendant wrote about his plans in a diary and discussed them with a school friend, who reported him to police in July 2024.
The Defence Argument
Defence lawyer Laura Reece KC argued that the central issue was the defendant's state of mind at the time of the acts. She described the defendant as a troubled youth struggling with an autism diagnosis, his parents' separation, and mental health issues, including a desire to self-harm.
Reece pointed to a diary entry where the defendant wrote he had an "Autistic interest in bombs" that would "be tough to shake off." She urged the jury to consider other diary entries revealing his personal struggles and characterized a text about bombing the Labour Day parade as an "edgy joke."
Evidence Presented
The trial heard a detailed timeline of the defendant's communications:
- On April 7, 2024: The defendant allegedly told a friend: "I have nitrate."
- On April 8: "I have plans for economically affordable explosives now."
- On April 9: "I have an idea. Labour Day march in Brisbane. We strike there."
On the day before the planned event, the defendant told a friend he was unsure about carrying out the attack because he could not purchase nails for shrapnel, later buying steak knives as potential substitutes. The event passed without incident, but the defendant continued researching bombs and purchasing equipment for explosives, according to the Crown.
Later in May, the defendant sent photos of chemicals to a school friend. When asked "who are you trying to kill," he replied "members of the Liberal party." When asked why, he said: "because I don't want a nuclear power plant an hour away from here."
In his diary, the defendant wrote about American terrorist Ted Kaczynski, expressed an "unhealthy obsession with bombs," and admitted he was "probably" radicalised and needed help. He wrote about wanting to harm people and expressed that "the Unabomber was right."
Online searches included queries about former opposition leader Peter Dutton, articles about the LNP's nuclear power policy, eco-terrorism, whether the Port Arthur shooter was autistic, and downloading a video of the Christchurch mosque shooting. The court also heard the defendant was obsessed with a fictional group of wild west outlaws from the video game Red Dead Redemption 2.
The Verdict
The jury acquitted the defendant of one count of acts done in preparation for or planning a terrorist act. The trial lasted 10 days.