A Melbourne man accused of attempting to fight against Islamic State allegedly told a friend he would rather live a short, meaningful life than a long time doing nothing.
Police allege Jamie Reece Williams, 28, made contact with a fighter recruitment Facebook page, Lions of Rojava, and arranged to join Yekineyen Parastina Gel, a Kurdish militant group, last December.
Williams, of Epping, had spent a year with the French Foreign Legion and is a trained marksman, the Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday.
Court documents show on December 26 last year he told "Matty L" via text he was volunteering to join the Kurdish army, he was going to Syria and he felt it was something he had to do.
"Over there I can be useful," Williams wrote, according to an affidavit tendered in court.
"All the s*** I went through in the legion won't have been for nothing.
"I'd rather live happy for a short time doing something that I feel means something rather live a long time doing nothing."
Williams was intercepted at Melbourne Airport on December 28, and in July this year charged with preparing to enter a foreign country with the intention of engaging in hostile activities.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
On December 29, Williams made admissions to Australian Federal Police that he planned to travel to Iraq to join YPG knowing they were involved in battles with IS, the affidavit says.
He admitted contacting Lions of Rojava, buying the plane ticket and telling police he would be met by an unknown contact in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, who would arrange for his travel to join YPG.
He told police he believed it would be an offence to join IS or other group listed by the Australian government, by not YPG.
He said he believed he had taken steps to ensure he wasn't committing any offences.
After a Lions of Rojava member told Williams he could join YPG early in December, he said: "I look forward to being able to help", court documents allege.
On Tuesday, lawyers for Williams said he should be released on bail because he had co-operated since his arrest and as such was not a flight risk.
Williams' mother Sylvia Williams told the court her son could live with her and her elderly mother at their house in Epping.
His 81-year-old grandmother would provide surety of $53,000 if bail was granted, Mrs Williams said.
The court will rule on Williams' bail application on Thursday.
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