Accused Bondi Terrorist Found Weeping in Isolation Cell

Naveed Akram, the 24-year-old accused in the Bondi terrorist attack, has been observed crying alone in his isolation cell at Goulburn Supermax prison. Sources indicate that Akram is reportedly developing a defense strategy that aims to shift blame onto his father, Sajid Akram.

Investigators believe a calculated narrative is emerging from behind prison walls, portraying Akram as a manipulated subordinate caught in his father’s alleged plot. He has reportedly spoken with police on four separate occasions, with the emerging defense suggesting he was coerced or brainwashed by his father.

Details of the Bondi Attack and Subsequent Charges

The father and son are accused of fatally shooting 15 people at a Chanukah event in December. They allegedly used legally obtained shotguns and rifles. Sajid Akram, 50, was killed by police during the incident, while Naveed Akram sustained serious injuries. Explosives and Islamic State flags were discovered in the pair’s vehicle.

Akram faces additional charges while incarcerated, including ten counts of shooting with intent to murder and six counts of discharging a firearm to resist arrest. These charges were filed in April, and he has yet to enter pleas.

Prisoner’s Isolation and Defense Strategy

Akram remains in strict isolation at Goulburn Supermax. Prison guards have reportedly found him crying in his cell on multiple occasions. One officer reportedly told the Sydney Morning Herald, “Get used to it,” suggesting a lengthy wait before trial.

Sources suggest Akram is preparing to argue that he acted under his father’s influence. This defense strategy is reportedly being developed as the case progresses.

Alleged Motivations and Influences

The war in Gaza is believed to have played a significant role in Sajid Akram’s alleged motivation to target Jewish Australians, according to a police source. A video manifesto allegedly showing the Akrams in front of Islamic State flags discussing their plans has been described as “confronting.”

Sajid Akram had reportedly spent over a decade attempting to obtain a gun license, which he finally secured in 2023, despite his son’s past associations. The Hamas attack on Israel in October, which triggered the war in Gaza, occurred just months later.

Investigators believe the pair were influenced by extremist material, both domestically and internationally. Notorious al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki is cited as a significant influence. Al-Awlaki, an American-Yemeni preacher killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011, is widely considered a key figure in radicalizing English-speaking jihadists. His sermons have been linked to numerous extremists and several major terrorist attacks in the West, including the 2009 Fort Hood massacre and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

The Bondi attack is considered Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.