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Published 13 days ago • loading... • Updated 13 days ago
Perth Invasion Day Bomber Accused Faces Court for First Time
Police allege the device was thrown into a crowd of thousands and did not detonate, as Hall faces charges that could bring life in prison.
On Tuesday, Liam Alexander Hall, 32, appeared in Perth Magistrates Court via video link from Frankland Centre, a mental health facility, after being charged with terrorism over an alleged attack at an Invasion Day rally on January 26.
Police allege Hall threw an explosive device made from a glass container filled with liquid, screws and ball bearings from a walkway above a crowd of Indigenous people at Forrest Place in Perth's CBD; thousands evacuated after police located the object.
Hall faces a terrorism charge—the first in Western Australia's history—plus counts of intent to harm and making explosives; authorities allege he accessed bomb-making instructions and "pro-white male" material online before the attack.
In court, Hall softly said "yes madam" when Magistrate Heidi Watson asked his identity and confirmed he understood the three charges; he was remanded in custody with his case adjourned to September 16.
If convicted of terrorism, Hall faces life imprisonment, though court previously heard he was in vulnerable mental health condition and living alone when the alleged Australia Day attack occurred; the protest resumed after emergency services neutralised the threat.