Teen accused of Dutton terror plot found not guilty
A Brisbane teenager has been found not guilty of plotting terror attacks targeting then-Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and a major public rally.
A teen accused of plotting nail bomb attacks against then-opposition leader Peter Dutton and a Labour Day march has been found not guilty of preparing a terrorist act.
The jury returned its verdict on Thursday after two days of deliberation.
The teen, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, stood trial in Brisbane Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to one count of carrying out acts in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act.
The family of the teen, now aged 17, gasped and cried when the verdict was read out.
They were shown dozens of text messages, online posts and hand-written diary entries that detailed the teenâs fixation on infamous terrorists including Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and the Christchurch mosque shooter.
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The goal of the planned bombing campaign was to bring attention to the argument that humanity was worse off with modern industries and technology, crown prosecutor Sally Flynn said.
The teen used his iPhone and laptop to search for âwhere is Peter Dutton locatedâ as part of an alleged plan to use bombings to oppose the Liberal Partyâs then-policy of building multiple nuclear power stations in Australia.
âWho are you trying to kill?â a friend of the teen texted.
âMembers of the Liberal Party,â the teen replied.
The teen was also obsessed with a fictional group of wild west outlaws as depicted in the video game Red Dead Redemption 2, the jury heard.
He texted a friend about the fictional terrorist attack at the end of the film Fight Club, in which a series of buildings are blown up.
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âI think Iâve gained an autistic interest in bombs but itâs going to be tough to shake it off,â the teen wrote in his diary.
He engaged in âclearly dangerous experimentationâ with household chemicals, defence barrister Laura Reece told the jury on Monday during her closing statement.
But the central issue at trial was the teenâs state of mind or intention at the time of the acts, she added.
âHe was a troubled kid. He was experimenting not only with explosives but with ideas and beliefs,â Reece said.
âHe was seeking out extremist material from wildly contradictory sources from the dark corners of the internet.â
The teen had written in his diary about serious mental health symptoms and was affected by his parentsâ separation, Reece added.
She argued he was telling an âedgy jokeâ when he texted his friend about bombing Brisbaneâs Labour Day parade, which usually attracts 20,000 people.
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-with AAP
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