The alleged teenage terrorist accused of stabbing a church leader in Sydney’s west during a service had recently been given a good behavior bond for a knife crime charge.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with a number of offenses following an incident at a Sydney train station in November last year, the ABC reported.
The charges include possession of a jackknife, being armed with a weapon with intent to commit a criminal offence, stalking and/or intimidation and recklessly destroying or damaging property.
He was released on bail before appearing in court in January, where the charges were ‘proven’, but dismissed with the good behavior bond.
The outlet reported that there were no supervision orders in place when he allegedly carried out the attack Monday evening.
The 16-year-old boy allegedly attacked 53-year-old Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and stabbed him in the head during his sermon at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, western Sydney, about 7pm on Monday.
The alleged teenage terrorist accused of stabbing a church leader in Sydney’s west during a service was recently given a good behavior bond for a knife crime
The alleged attack was streamed live on the church’s YouTube page
Father Isaac Royel, who serves in the Assyrian ministry at St Shimun Bar Sabbae and St Mary Cathedral, was one of several parishioners who tried to intervene – and is said to have suffered cuts and a shoulder wound as a result.
Churchgoers said they saw the alleged perpetrator wandering past the church before the attack and said he stood out from regular parishioners.
“He knew the service was being streamed live and was waiting for the camera to turn on before the (alleged) attack,” Mary Anoya said.
Both the men and the 16-year-old boy were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, where the teen remains under police guard.
Now a relative has revealed the family’s shock at last night’s event, describing the boy as a “quiet teenager” who was “not a terrorist or ISIS sympathizer.”
Bishop Emmanuel (left) and Father Royel (right) were rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries
“His parents are panicking, they didn’t know what to do or why this was happening,” the relative said.
“He’s just a kid who spends a lot of time at home, but doesn’t even have a computer. I know what has been reported about what he said, but it doesn’t fit this child.
“He’s very quiet… He wants to leave school and get a job, maybe in construction.”
The boy is one of three children. His father, a taxi driver, is a Lebanese immigrant who moved to Australia 25 years ago. The family lives in a simple house in the south west of Sydney.
The relative said the teen’s parents live “like regular Aussies” but became concerned on Monday when their son left home and did not return.
After the alleged stabbing, the relative said the boy’s “panicked” father contacted him.
“They didn’t know where their son was or what was going on,” he said.
‘They are simple people, a good family, but I had to help them get information from the police about where to go.
‘As far as I knew [the teen] has never been in trouble before, and the idea of him following ISIS is insane.”
Police searched the family’s home on Tuesday, with detectives carrying two large evidence bags and a black suitcase out of the property.
Family members who showed up to show their support for the boy’s parents were seen coming and going from the property throughout the afternoon.
When contacted by Daily Mail Australia, the boy’s father passed the phone to another relative, who said: ‘Sorry mate, they’re not really in a state of conversation.’