Bondi Beach shooting suspect appears in court for first time
The man accused of carrying out the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach has appeared in court for the first time since his arrest, two months after the attack.
Naveed Akram, 24, faced Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court via video link from maximum security Goulburn Correctional Center, and the hearing lasted only minutes. He faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act over the December 14th attack during a Hanukkah event known as Chanukah by the Sea in Archer Park. Among those killed were two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl.
Wearing a green prison jumper and sitting with his hands in his lap, Akram spoke just once. When asked by Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund whether he had heard discussion about extending suppression orders, he replied: “Yeah”.
The suppression orders protect the identities of survivors, though they can choose to publicly identify themselves if they wish.
Police allege Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, 50, carried out the attack together. Fifteen people were killed and more than 40 others were injured in what authorities have described as Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene, while his son was wounded and later moved from the hospital into custody.
Outside the court, defence lawyer Ben Archbold said it was too early to indicate what plea his client would enter. He said Akram was doing “as well as can be expected” inside Goulburn’s maximum-security facility. “Everyone knows it's supermax … very onerous conditions,” Archbold said. Asked whether his client had been interviewed by police, he said: “All we've done is start the process. We're waiting for the brief to be served. There's nothing more I can say.”
Investigators have alleged that the pair planned the attack for months. Court documents released in December claim that they visited the beach days beforehand to scope out the area. Police say videos found on one of their phones show the father and son in front of an Islamic State group flag, making statements about their motives and condemning “the acts of 'Zionists'”.
Separate footage allegedly shows the two “firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner” during firearms training in regional New South Wales. Authorities also claim that they threw improvised explosive devices into the crowd, but the devices did not go off.
The case is one of several official investigations underway. One investigation is looking at whether intelligence or law enforcement agencies missed warning signs before the attack. A royal commission will also examine antisemitism in Australia more broadly, including the circumstances surrounding the Bondi shooting.
Akram is due back in court in April.
