Authorities are analysing nearly 60,000 photos and videos on the phone of a teenager charged with a terror offence over the alleged stabbing of a bishop at a south-west Sydney church, a court has heard.
The 16-year-old boy was charged after Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was attacked during a live-streamed service at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley in mid April.
During a mention of the case in Parramatta Children’s Court, Commonwealth prosecutors sought a further six weeks to serve a brief of evidence.
They also told the magistrate that last month a further two charges had been laid.
“In addition to that, there’s an extensive amount of material on the person’s phone that’s being analysed,” a representative for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions told the court.
The magistrate heard there were 52,000 images and 7,500 videos.
According to court documents, the two additional charges are cause wounding/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder Mar Mari Emmanuel, and wound a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, which relates to a different man the same night.
The magistrate was told the additional material to be served is likely to constitute the balance of the brief.
The teenager’s lawyer didn’t apply for bail and it was formally refused.
The case will return to court in late July.
More arrests made over church riot
Overnight, NSW Police revealed there have been more charges laid against people accused of taking part in a riot outside the church on the night of the attack.
Five men were arrested during a second day of action on Thursday from Strike Force Dribs, which was set up to investigate what police have branded a “large-scale public order incident” at Wakeley.
Search warrants were executed at homes in Fairfield West, Wakeley and Green Valley, where two men aged 31 and 41 and a 17-year-old boy were arrested.
Another two men, aged 20 and 29, were arrested at Fairfield Police Station, and at a correctional facility in Cessnock a 20-year-old man was arrested, police said.
NSW Police also renewed their appeal for information to identify a further seven men who they believe can assist with inquiries.
According to police, 29 people have now been charged as part of the extensive investigation.
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