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AAP
AAP
National
Miklos Bolza

Phone taps to be used against alleged teen terrorists

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed while delivering a sermon at his Sydney church. (HANDOUT/Christ of Good Shepherd Church)

Prosecutors will draw on material from phone intercepts in their case against four teenagers charged with terrorism offences after a bishop's stabbing, a court has been told.

Assyrian bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and priest Isaac Royel were stabbed during a live-streamed sermon at a western Sydney church in April.

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with committing a terrorist act over the stabbing at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, which police allege was religiously motivated.

Father Isaac Royel (left) and Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel (file image)
Father Isaac Royel (left) and Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel were both injured in the attack. (HANDOUT/CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH)

Six more teenagers, allegedly connected with the accused stabber, have also been charged with terrorism offences, including conspiring to engage in preparations for a terrorist act and possessing or controlling violent extremist material.

Four of those accused attended Parramatta Children's Court on Friday, when their lawyers agreed to an eight-week adjournment to give time for prosecutors to compile and hand over their full brief of evidence.

The court heard that telephone intercept, body-worn camera footage and CCTV footage had still not been handed over to defence counsel.

Police had already completed a review of the four accused's primary communications devices and were still going through their secondary devices, the prosecutor said.

The matters will return to court on August 16.

The terror arrests came after a joint counter-terrorism team involving 400 police officers undertook 13 raids at several homes across Sydney in response to the Wakeley attack.

The stabbing also led to violent riots around the church with those in the angry throng demanding that the alleged teenager stabber, who had been subdued inside the place of worship, be handed over to the mob outside.

Police have charged 30 individuals in relation to the riots.

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