Australian man charged after endorsing Bondi attack had weapons stockpile, police say
A court heard police found a cache of guns, a stockpile of ammunition and a shopping list for bomb materials at the home of a West Australian man who was arrested after pledging support for the Bondi attackers.
Martin Glynn, 39, appeared in a Perth court on Wednesday charged with racial abuse, possessing a prohibited weapon and failing to properly store firearms.
Prosecutors allege flags of Hamas and Hezbollah, both designated terrorist groups by Australia, were found during a police raid launched after a tip from the public.
“There is no place for antisemitism, hate and violent ideologies in Australia,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.
The court heard Mr Glynn posted on Instagram to support their actions just hours after two gunmen killed 15 people in a targeted attack on a Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14.
“A community member saw a post by the man online, realized it wasn’t true and reported it to the police,” Western Australian acting premier Rita Saffioti told reporters on Christmas Eve. he said.
Police later searched Mr Glynn’s home in Yangebup, a suburb of Perth, and allegedly found a notebook containing anti-Semitic comments and references to Nazi ideology.
Three flags, six rifles and around Prosecutors said 4,000 rounds of ammunition were also seized.
Judge Benjamin Tyers told the court on Wednesday there was “nothing illegal or improper” in supporting the Palestinian cause.
“It is inappropriate to post online comments supporting the slaughter of innocent civilians,” he said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Mr Glynn, who represented himself in court, said he was “opinionated” about the war in Gaza but “hoped to elevate the hypocrisy” by creating the Instagram post.
He said he was a doomsday prepper and that the alleged “bomb-making material” was actually fire-starting material.
“I don’t intend to harm anyone,” he said.
Western Australian Police Commissioner Col Blanch told the media the investigation was still in its early days but there had previously been “no record of concern in relation to this individual”.
Mr Glynn, a former miner, was refused bail and will appear in court again on February 3.
