Australian Muslim pleads guilty to terrorism charges

Jul 28, 2009, 6:59 GMT

   Sydney - An Australian convert to Islam on Tuesday pleaded guilty to terrorism charges after spending almost three years in custody.

   Shane Kent, 32, was tried in September along with seven members of what police alleged was a terrorist cell plotting to bomb the 100,000 spectators at the 2005 rugby cup final in Melbourne.

   The seven were found guilty and jailed but the jury failed to reach a verdict on the charges against Kent and a second trial was ordered.

   Kent was a follower of Algerian-born Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 48, who told his followers it was 'permissible to kill women, children and the aged' in the cause of jihad.

   In February, Benbrika was sentenced to 15 years in jail for intentionally directing the activities of a terrorist organization. His followers, aged 23 to 29, were jailed for between four and seven-and-a-half years.

   The arrest of Benbrika and the rounding up of his followers came days after Australia updated its terrorism laws so that cases could be brought against those thought to be plotting a terrorist attack who may not have fixed on a specific target.

   Prior to Benbrika, only three Australians had been convicted of terrorism offences.

   Kent, who has been out on bail since the conclusion of his first trial, converted to Islam when he was 19. A former forklift truck driver, he is alleged to have attended terrorist training courses abroad. He is expected to be sentenced next month.