The alleged teen terrorist accused of stabbing a western Sydney church leader during a service had recently been given a good behaviour bond for knife crime.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with a number of offences after an incident at a Sydney train station in November last year, reported the ABC.
The charges included possessing a flick knife, being armed with a weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence, stalking and/or intimidation and recklessly destroy or damage property.
He had been on bail before a court appearance in January where the charges were ‘proven’ but dismissed with the good behaviour bond.
The outlet reported there were no supervision orders in place when he allegedly carried out the attack on Monday night.
The 16-year-old boy allegedly lunged at Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, 53, and stabbed him in the head during his sermon at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, in Sydney’s west, at about 7pm on Monday.
The alleged teen terrorist accused of stabbing a western Sydney church leader during a service had recently been given a good behaviour bond for knife crime
The alleged attack was live streamed over the church’s YouTube page
Father Isaac Royel, who serves in the Assyrian ministry at St Shimun Bar Sabbae and St Mary Cathedral, was among many parishioners who attempted to intervene – and as a result he allegedly suffered lacerations and a shoulder wound.
Churchgoers said they had seen the alleged offender wandering the perimeter of the church before the attack and said he stood out from the regular parishioners.
‘He knew the service was being live-streamed and he waited for the camera to turn on before the (alleged) attack,’ said Mary Anoya.
Both men and the 16-year-old boy were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, where the teen remains under police guard.
Now, a relative has revealed the family’s shock over last night’s event, describing the boy as a ‘quiet teenager’ who was ‘not a terrorist or ISIS sympathiser’.
Bishop Emmanuel (left) and Father Royel (right) were rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries
‘His parents are freaking out, they didn’t know what to do or why this happened,’ the relative said.
‘He’s just a kid who spends a lot of time at home but he doesn’t even have a computer. I know what has been reported what he said but it doesn’t fit with this kid.
‘He’s really quiet… He’s been looking to leave school and get a job, maybe in construction.’
The boy is one of three children. His taxi driver father is a Lebanese immigrant who moved to 25 years ago and the family live in a humble home in south-west Sydney.
The relative said the teen’s parents live ‘like ordinary Aussies’, but on Monday had become concerned when their son left home and did not return.
After the alleged stabbing attack, the relative said the boy’s ‘panicking’ father had contacted him.
‘They didn’t know where their son was or what was happening,’ he said.
‘They are simple people, a good family, but I had to help them get some information from the police about where to go.
‘As far as I knew [the teen] hasn’t been in trouble before, and the idea that he follows ISIS is crazy.’
Police were seen searching the family’s home on Tuesday, with detectives carrying two large evidence bags and a black case out of the property.
Relatives, turning up to show their support for the boy’s parents, were seen coming and going from the property during the afternoon.
When contacted by Daily Mail , the boy’s father passed the phone on to another relative who said: ‘Sorry mate, they aren’t really in shape to talk.’
READ MORE: Bishop prays for attacker after the boy stabbed him during church service
Bishop Mar Mari (pictured) suffered injuries to his head after allegedly being stabbed in the frenzied attack on Monday night