New charges were laid against the surviving Bondi Beach Massacre terrorist on Wednesday, according to the Australian Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, the first update of charges since December.
Naveed Akram, who with his father Sajid Akram allegedly murdered 15 people and wounded 41 during a shooting attack against a December 14 Hanukkah party, faced 19 new charges from the New South Wales Joint Counter Terrorism Team in addition to the 59 laid against him on December 17.
The new charges against the 24-year-old Bonnyrigg resident included three new attempted murder charges, ten counts of shooting with the intent to murder, and six new counts of discharging a firearm with intent to cause harm or resist arrest.
Akram had been previously charged with committing a terrorist offense, 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, discharging a firearm with intent, placing explosives near a public building, and displaying a terrorist symbol.
The terrorism and murder charges each come with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The 43 attempted murder charges, 10 shooting with intent to murder charges, and 5 counts of firearm discharge each come with a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
The gunman faces a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison for placing explosives after the pair of terrorists threw 4 IEDs at the crowd of Jewish celebrants. A fifth IED was found in their vehicle's trunk. After a homemade ISIS flag was also discovered in their vehicle, Akram also faces a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment.
The JCTT requested further time from the court on Wednesday to present and obtain additional evidence in the case, according to the CDPP, with the court providing an extension until August 12.
The surviving terrorist wanted anonymity
Akram, whose 50-year-old father and fellow terrorist was shot during the commission of the attack, has yet to make a plea in the case. Akram survived the incident after being critically wounded by police.
In April, the court dismissed the defendant's application for suppression and non-publication orders for information related to the family, after interim orders were initially made in March. In May, the court ordered the suppression of information about the victims, and on Wednesday, the CDPP sought to extend that order, which is set to expire on June 29.
The December terrorist attack left a deep mark on Australia, both due to the scale and brutality of the incident, which saw children as young as 10 murdered, and because of the scrutiny over the preparedness of law enforcement.