‘Why was Khayre out?’ PM assails Vic police, courts
PM forcefully questions why Yacqub Khayre was free. Photo: AAP
Malcolm Turnbull has openly questioned how a terrorist who killed one man and injured three police in a Melbourne siege overnight was out on parole at the time.
The Prime Minister described the attack, which left the terrorist dead following a shootout with officers, as a shocking and cowardly crime.
There was a lot still unknown about the deadly crime but the offender specifically claimed it was a terror attack.
Mr Turnbull, holding a press conference in Canberra, repeatedly queried how the known violent offender was out on parole.
“He had a long record of violence. A very long record of violence,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“He had been charged with a terrorist offence some years ago and had been acquitted. He was known to have connections, at least in the past, with violent extremism.”
The attacker
Long-time criminal Yacqub Khayre is the man behind the deadly Brighton siege that claimed the life of an innocent apartment clerk.
The Somalian-born man, 29, had served jail time over a violent burglary in 2012 and was on parole at the time of Monday’s siege, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said.
Mr Ashton said he had been on parole since being released from prison last November and “there was nothing wrong with his parole until yesterday.”
Khayre also spent 16 months on remand before being acquitted of the 2009 Holsworthy army barracks terror plot in Sydney.
He lived in the Melbourne suburb Roxburgh Park with his mother and police will search their home on Tuesday, as well as continue work at the Bay St serviced apartment block.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Monday’s incident, but Mr Ashton downplayed their statement.
Somali refugee Yacqub Khayre (R) is confirmed as the Brighton gunman. Photo: AAP
Links with Lindt
Mr Turnbull drew a link between the Brighton gunman and Lindt Siege hostage-taker Man Monis.
“More investigations and explanations will be given but it is plainly – it is very hard, I think – to understand why he was released on parole given the nature of his record and the nature of his offence,” he said.
Mr Turnbull said Australian faced a growing threat from Islamist terrorism but authorities remained committed to defying and defeating threats.
“It is a terrorist attack and it underlines the need for us to be constantly vigilant, never to be deterred, always defiant, in the face of Islamist terrorism,” he said.
“With every development in the sick pathology of terrorism, we have to learn from it, we must be more agile that those who seek to do us harm.
“… What is clear here is that we face a growing threat from Islamist terrorism in Australia in our region and around the world.
” We will continue to defy it and we will continue to defeat it.”
AAP
