Milanda Rout | October 20, 2008
A VICTORIAN jury has been warned to be sceptical of some of the answers given by Joseph Terrence Thomas in his ABC TV interview because the Muslim convert deliberately painted himself as a "naive young boy".
Prosecutors told the Supreme Court this morning that Mr Thomas knew the Four Corners interview was going to be broadcast nationally and therefore was very careful in the answers he gave to journalist Sally Neighbour.
The jury heard Mr Thomas - who has pleaded not guilty to one charge of knowingly receiving funds from a terrorist organisation and one charge of falsifying an Australian passport - emphasised a naive “persona” in the interview.
Prosecutors allege Mr Thomas accepted $US3500 and airline ticket from senior al-Qa'ida member Khaled bin Attash in January 2003 and that the 35-year-old knew he was from the global terrorist organisation.
But defence lawyers say Mr Thomas was simply trying to get out of the region because he feared for his safety and he believed the money and ticket was a donation from concerned Pakistani families.
Prosecutor Nicholas Robinson told the jury this morning in his closing address to keep in mind that Mr Thomas's lawyers had given their approval for him to do the ABC interview.
“You are entitled to be fairly critical and sceptical of the answers he gave,” he said. “His answers in the interview ... were clearly considered by the way it might have been seen by the public. He knew it would be broadcast nationally.”
Mr Robinson said Mr Thomas played down to Ms Neighbour what he knew about al-Qa'ida when he went to Afghanistan prior to September 11 to fight for the Taliban in the country's civil war.
“The persona he suggested when he was talking directly to the ABC is that he is a young naive boy who got lost in events over his head,” he told the jury.
But defence lawyer Jim Kennan said his client was in fact very naive and a “fairly ordinary average sort of bloke”.
He said his client initially went to Afghanistan because he thought he may make a difference in the country's civil war. “If that isn't the height of naivety, what is?” Mr Kennan said in his closing address.
He also told the jury the Crown case against Mr Thomas was “desperate” and thin.
The trial, before Justice Elizabeth Curtain, continues.
A VICTORIAN jury has been warned to be sceptical of some of the answers given by Joseph Terrence Thomas in his ABC TV interview because the Muslim convert deliberately painted himself as a "naive young boy".
Prosecutors told the Supreme Court this morning that Mr Thomas knew the Four Corners interview was going to be broadcast nationally and therefore was very careful in the answers he gave to journalist Sally Neighbour.
The jury heard Mr Thomas - who has pleaded not guilty to one charge of knowingly receiving funds from a terrorist organisation and one charge of falsifying an Australian passport - emphasised a naive “persona” in the interview.
Prosecutors allege Mr Thomas accepted $US3500 and airline ticket from senior al-Qa'ida member Khaled bin Attash in January 2003 and that the 35-year-old knew he was from the global terrorist organisation.
But defence lawyers say Mr Thomas was simply trying to get out of the region because he feared for his safety and he believed the money and ticket was a donation from concerned Pakistani families.
Prosecutor Nicholas Robinson told the jury this morning in his closing address to keep in mind that Mr Thomas's lawyers had given their approval for him to do the ABC interview.
“You are entitled to be fairly critical and sceptical of the answers he gave,” he said. “His answers in the interview ... were clearly considered by the way it might have been seen by the public. He knew it would be broadcast nationally.”
Mr Robinson said Mr Thomas played down to Ms Neighbour what he knew about al-Qa'ida when he went to Afghanistan prior to September 11 to fight for the Taliban in the country's civil war.
“The persona he suggested when he was talking directly to the ABC is that he is a young naive boy who got lost in events over his head,” he told the jury.
But defence lawyer Jim Kennan said his client was in fact very naive and a “fairly ordinary average sort of bloke”.
He said his client initially went to Afghanistan because he thought he may make a difference in the country's civil war. “If that isn't the height of naivety, what is?” Mr Kennan said in his closing address.
He also told the jury the Crown case against Mr Thomas was “desperate” and thin.
The trial, before Justice Elizabeth Curtain, continues.
Source: The Australian
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