City Walks with Kids by Emily Laurence Baker

Khaja listened intently throughout the proceedings. The court heard the Epping Boys High School student from a moderate Sunni Muslim family was 'young and impressionable' but at more than 18 years at the time of offending, was old enough to know he was planning something 'appallingly wrong'. 'The Muslim religion is not on trial here' 'He was aiming to cause as many deaths as one man acting alone could achieve, he did not intend to spare anyone who should be amongst the crowd at the chosen location except any fellow Muslims'.

'I am satisfied from the offenders own words that he hoped to kill in the order of 50 people,' he said. 'A consideration that contributes to the gravity and preparation offence in the present case is the scale of the intended attack,' Justice Fagan said.

The judge said that Khaja's planning on the date of his arrest in Parramatta carpark in March 2016 was advanced. 'What the offender planned and prepared for would clearly constitute a terrorist attack, his offence is complete although no such act actually occurred and although he had not finally decided on the particular attack he would make.' 'He expected his actions would encourage others of the same mind to undertake similar atrocities leading to police and security services being overwhelmed, the institutions of democratic government being weakened and the Australian people being forced to live under Islamic law, sharia,' Justice Fagan said.

City Walks with Kids by Emily Laurence Baker