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Teenage terror suspect giggles after being denied bail

A Sydney teenage girl charged with terrorism offences has been denied bail with a magistrate finding there were no exceptional circumstances in her detention.

Alo-Bridget Namoa has been denied bail over terrorism charges.

Alo-Bridget Namoa has been denied bail over terrorism charges. Source: Facebook

An "extreme high-risk" teenage terror suspect has giggled after being denied bail and ordered back to segregated custody in a tiny jail cell for up to 22 hours a day.

Alo-Bridget Namoa, who is married to a Sydney man charged with plotting a terror attack, was allegedly caught with "a wealth" of extremist material on her phone including photos of ISIS beheadings and homemade bombs, Sydney's Central Local Court heard on Tuesday.

She also allegedly had a "tactical hunting knife" which was connected with preparation for a terrorist act, magistrate John Andrews said.

Her phone is also claimed to contain a comment which reads "a kitchen knife is sufficient to send a kaffer into the hereafter".

Investigators also allegedly found a specific threat to the US state of California that refers to San Bernadino, which said: "we will repeat the California shooting, you won't find peace in your sleeping rooms until we kill your men, enslave your women and sell your children".

As well as facing the two terrorism offences, the 19-year-old has pleaded guilty to refusing to answer questions during a NSW Crime Commission hearing.

She had applied for bail, arguing her age, lack of history and the conditions in which she has been detained made out the special circumstances needed for the granting of release of a terror accused.

The court heard she spends up to 22-hours a day in segregated custody in a three-metre by three-metre cell and is classified as an "extreme high-risk restricted prisoner".

Mr Andrews, however, found that special circumstances had not been met and denied bail.

"In my view the case is a strong one," he added.

Namoa sat with her head down for much of Tuesday's decision hearing.

But she did raise her head to ask whether she had lost bail after the magistrate made his formal orders.

She giggled when it was confirmed to her via video link that she would be remaining in custody.

Namoa will return to court in late September.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



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