A jury on Thursday found a teenage boy not guilty of preparing a terrorist act, acquitting him of accusations that he plotted nail bomb attacks against then-opposition leader Peter Dutton and a Labour Day march. The verdict came after two days of deliberation in Brisbane Supreme Court.
The 17-year-old, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, had pleaded not guilty to the charge. His family reacted with gasps and tears upon hearing the verdict.
Prosecutors alleged that the boy, who was nearing 16 at the time of the alleged offenses in July 2024, had gathered materials including nails, metal pipes, and explosive ingredients. The jury was presented with text messages, online posts, and diary entries that reportedly detailed the teen's interest in figures like Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and the Christchurch mosque shooter. The crown prosecutor stated that the alleged goal was to protest the Liberal Party's policy of establishing nuclear power stations in Australia.
Evidence shown to the court included text messages where the teen responded to a friend's question about his targets by saying, "Members of the Liberal Party." The jury also heard about the teen's alleged fascination with outlaw groups from the video game Red Dead Redemption 2 and his references to the fictional terrorist attack in the movie Fight Club.
Defence barrister Laura Reece argued that the teen was a "troubled kid" experimenting with ideas and explosives, and that he was not actually planning a terrorist act. She suggested he was engaging in "clearly dangerous experimentation" and making an "edgy joke" when he texted about targeting the Labour Day parade. Reece also highlighted the teen's diary entries detailing mental health struggles and difficulties stemming from his parents' separation, asserting that the central issue was his state of mind.
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