A Sydney teenager has pleaded not guilty to marrying a 15-year-old girl in a backyard Islamic ceremony.
The man was arrested by Child Abuse Squad detectives on Wednesday after he allegedly married his young partner last year in Sydney's west.
He pleaded not guilty on Thursday to marrying a person not of marriageable age.
The man, who was 18 when he allegedly wed the teenage girl in a Lurnea backyard, was also due to be sentenced for cannabis possession and a driving offence.
However, the case was adjourned to next month.
The teenager didn't comment as he left court with his father on Thursday.
Police allege the man and the 15-year-old girl were married under Islamic law before moving into a flat, believed to be behind his parent's home.
Court documents reveal the man allegedly threatened his young wife's family over the phone, including her mother when she raised concerns.
"The accused has said to her 'if you start a war I'll finish it'," the documents state.
Police allege the man, who is unemployed, assaulted the girl to the point his family had to intervene to stop the beating.
Court documents state the teenage girl had cut ties with her family, and police believe it was due to the man's influence.
The man's case relating to the alleged marriage was adjourned to April 16.
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