20-year-old man accused of plotting WA terror attacks faces bail hearing
Consensus Summary
A 20-year-old man named Jayson Joseph Michaels faces terrorism charges after police raided his parents’ home in Bindoon, WA, in February 2024, seizing weapons, ammunition, and a manifesto detailing plans for attacks on Parliament House, police headquarters, and mosques. Michaels allegedly wrote in his diary that his intended violence would surpass the Bondi beach shootings, referencing extremist ideologies and researching targets like mosque entry points. His lawyer argues the case is weak, portraying Michaels as a depressed, isolated youth engaging in escapism, while prosecutors emphasize his online radicalization, practical planning (including lock-picking and weapon research), and explicit intent. Magistrate Belinda Coleman refused bail, citing disturbing diary entries and evidence of planning over time, though she noted potential mental health factors. Michaels remains remanded in custody, with his next court appearance scheduled for May 2024. The case highlights tensions between mental health defenses and prosecutorial claims of premeditated terrorism.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Jayson Joseph Michaels, 20, is accused of plotting a terrorist attack targeting Parliament House, police headquarters, and mosques in Perth, WA, following a raid on his parents’ Bindoon home in February 2024.
- Police seized a written manifesto, dozens of rounds of ammunition (900+), guns, and knives during the raid at the Bindoon home, located 75km northeast of Perth.
- Michaels allegedly wrote in his diary that his planned attack would be worse than the Bondi beach shootings, referencing the December 2023 attack with the line: 'What I want to do to both these groups pales in comparison to today.'
- Michaels appeared via video link from Casuarina Prison during his bail hearing on March 2024, where he was remanded in custody after Magistrate Belinda Coleman refused bail.
- Michaels’ lawyer, Christian Porter, argued his client was depressed, isolated, and engaged in escapism rather than a genuine plot, describing the diary as 'big talk' and 'fantasy'.
- Prosecutor Kirsten Nelson stated Michaels researched mosque entry points, practiced lock-picking, and consulted extremist white supremacist manifestos and violent online content, including the 'Watch People Die' website.
- Michaels allegedly planned to use a van resembling an ambulance for escape, designed a jacket patch for notoriety, and researched explosives and firearm construction via 3D printing.
- The diary was found in a locked drawer in Michaels’ bedroom and contained derogatory references to ethnic groups, according to Magistrate Coleman.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Michaels allegedly downloaded a manifesto referencing 'point scoring' during a terrorist attack, a term he used in his diary.
- Prosecutor Kirsten Nelson mentioned Michaels had a timeline of planned actions over multiple years, not just an impulsive act.
- Magistrate Coleman noted evidence of Michaels researching explosives and firearm construction via 3D printing software.
- Michaels allegedly discussed his plans with others online, seeking advice on crafting weapons.
- Michaels allegedly compared his planned attack to the Bondi shootings with the line: 'What I want to do to both these groups pales in comparison to today,' after the December 2023 attack.
- He allegedly accessed online material described as a 'manifesto and instruction manual from a declared terrorist organisation'.
- Michaels’ lawyer Christian Porter called the diary entries a 'Walter Mitty-esque fantasy' and 'all the hallmarks of a Marvel comic'.
- The Guardian explicitly states Michaels allegedly planned to buy a 3D printer to make a gun and secured a job to access bomb-making materials (though he left empty-handed).
- Michaels’ defence lawyer suggested he may require an assessment for autism spectrum disorder.
- ABC notes Michaels was held in a 'special handling unit' in Casuarina Prison due to safety risks and reported threats.
- The ABC specifies Michaels was charged with 'using a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence' and 'failing to store a firearm in compliant storage'.
- ABC mentions Michaels allegedly proposed joining the Army Reserve as part of his planning.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- NEWSCOMAU states Michaels was remanded in custody after a February 2024 raid, while ABC does not specify the exact month of the raid but implies it was in early 2024 without contradicting the timeline.
- The Guardian describes Michaels as allegedly planning to 'buy a 3D printer to make a gun and got a job where he could access bomb-making materials,' but NEWSCOMAU and ABC do not mention the job aspect explicitly.
- ABC mentions Michaels may have autism spectrum disorder as a potential mitigating factor, which is not referenced in NEWSCOMAU or the Guardian.
- NEWSCOMAU and the Guardian both describe Michaels as radicalised by white supremacist ideology, but only the Guardian explicitly states he accessed material from a 'declared terrorist organisation'.
- The Guardian calls Michaels’ diary entries 'a clear expression of his intent to engage in a terrorist act,' while NEWSCOMAU’s prosecutor Kirsten Nelson frames it as a matter for a jury to determine intent.
Source Articles
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