Three men guilty of planning Christmas Day attack in central Melbourne

Three men have been found guilty of planning a Christmas Day terrorist attack.

Hamza Abbas was one of three men found guilty of planning a terrorist attack on Federation Square and nearby sites. Source: AAP

Three men have been found guilty of conspiring to plan a Christmas Day terrorist attack in central Melbourne.

A Supreme Court jury found 23-year-old Hamza Abbas, his cousin Abdullah Chaarani, 27, and friend Ahmed Mohamed, 25, guilty of preparation for an attack targeting Federation Square, St Paul's Cathedral and Flinders Street station in December 2016.

The November 2 verdict followed seven days of deliberations and eight weeks of evidence including from Hamza's older brother, Ibrahim Abbas, 24, who confessed his involvement to police and pleaded guilty earlier this year.

The publication of the verdict was delayed by legal matters.