Western Australian Man Denied Bail Over Alleged Terror Plot

A 20-year-old man from Bindoon, Western Australia, has been denied bail after being charged with planning attacks on public buildings and places of worship. The Perth Magistrates Court heard that the accused, Jayson Joseph Michaels, detailed his alleged plans in a diary seized during a police raid in February. The diary reportedly outlined intentions to attack the Western Australia Police headquarters, WA Parliament House, and mosques, referring to a "day of justice." Commonwealth prosecutor Kirsten Nelson stated, "The diary is a clear expression of his intent to engage in a terrorist act." Michaels allegedly planned to manufacture weapons and body armour, and sought employment to access bomb-making materials. He also reportedly accessed online material related to extremist white supremacist ideology. Defence lawyer Christian Porter described Michaels as an isolated and depressed young man with no intention to carry out the plans, characterizing the diary as "a Walter Mitty-esque fantasy." Magistrate Belinda Coleman, however, found the diary's contents "disturbing" and refused bail. Michaels is scheduled to appear in Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on 13 May.