Australian Muslim jailed on terrorism charges

Sep 2, 2009, 11:21 GMT

   Canberra - An Australian convert to Islam on Wednesday was jailed for five years after he pleaded guilty to terrorism charges.

   Shane Kent, who has spent three years in custody, 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, 32, 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 for intentionally directing the activities of a terrorist organization. His followers, aged 23-29, were jailed for between four years and seven-and-a-half years.

   The arrest of Benbrica 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 the sentencing of Benbrica, only three Australians had been convicted of terrorism offences.

   Kent, who helped make a propaganda film featuring al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, converted to Islam when he was 19.

   The former forklift truck driver attended terrorist training courses at the al-Farouq camp in Afghanistan in August 2001, just weeks before the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

   Supreme Court judge Bernard Bongiorno said he was not convinced that Kent had abandoned the cause of violent jihad. 'There is no admissible evidence of his having done so or of his being genuinely contrite for what he did,' Bongiorno said.