The alleged Bondi attacker who survived a shootout with police has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, after waking from his coma on Tuesday.
New South Wales police charged Naveed Akram, 24, on Wednesday, after he was arrested at the scene of the incident and taken to a Sydney hospital with critical injuries on Sunday night. The matter was due to be heard in court on Wednesday afternoon.
Among the 59 offences confirmed by court staff are one count of committing a terrorist act, 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder, one count of placing an explosive in or near a building, a charge of discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and a charge of publicly displaying a terrorist symbol.
Naveed Akram and his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, had allegedly opened fire on those attending an event to mark the start of an eight-day Hanukah festival at Bondi beach on Sunday.
Police have alleged that Sajid – who was shot dead by officers at the scene – had legally obtained the guns used in the attack.
The mass shooting resulted 15 people being killed by the alleged attackers, including a 10-year-old child. Another 20 people remained in hospital with injuries on Wednesday.
The charges against Naveed come a day after the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said Sunday’s attack appeared to have been inspired by Islamic State.
The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, also said on Tuesday that the father and son had allegedly travelled to the Philippines last month, with the reason for the travel remaining under investigation.
Authorities in Manila confirmed the pair listed Davao – in the country’s south – as their destination in the Philippines when they flew in on 1 November. They left the country on 28 November.
The trip to the Philippines came after Naveed, who worked as a bricklayer, told his boss he was unable to work until 2026 because he had broken his hand boxing. He had also asked for all his work entitlements to be paid out.
Lanyon also alleged on Tuesday, prior to charges being laid, that IEDs and two homemade Islamic State flags were found in a car registered to Naveed that was parked at the scene of Sunday’s Hanukah festival shooting.