Bin Laden video shown in court hearing

A Melbourne terrorist helped make a spine-chilling propaganda video featuring Osama
Bin Laden and the head of a dead martyr, his pre-sentence hearing was told.
Shane Kent, 32, turned to radical Islam after his mother-in-law and wife told him to
seek the guidance of sheik Abdul Nacer Benbrika for his drugs problem.
Kent underwent military training at the al-Farouq camp in Afghanistan, an alleged
al-Qaeda training base, in August 2001, days before the September 11 terrorist
attacks on New York and Washington, the Victorian Supreme Court heard.
He became known as Yasin and Abu Ibrahim and made a propaganda video about martyrdom
with material he found on the internet.
The video featured footage of al-Qaeda leader bin Laden, the head of a dead young
martyr and truck bombings, the court heard.
Kent also had photos taken of himself in Mujahid-like poses - dressed in traditional
Islamic clothing and holding the Koran in one hand and a firearm in the other.
But on Tuesday his lawyer described him on Tuesday as a "could've been" terrorist,
who was a barracker rather than an action man.
Kent has pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally being a member of a terrorist
organisation between July 2004 and November 2005.
The former forklift driver from Campbellfield in Melbourne's north has also pleaded
guilty to one count of making a document connected with the preparation of a
terrorist act.
Prosecutor Lesley Taylor told Kent's pre-sentence hearing the terrorist helped make
the propaganda film, which was designed to encourage others to carry out a terrorist
act.
Ms Taylor played part of the video to the court. It featured a voiceover in Arabic
with religious dogma about martyrdom and a call to arms against Jews and Christians.
There is an image created by Kent of two AK-47 assault rifles crossed in front of
the Koran.
The movie, which runs for an hour and 20 minutes, also shows a picture of the head
of a young martyr after he had been killed.
Ms Taylor stopped the movie after seven minutes and the court was closed so further
sections could be played in-camera.
"The Crown submits this video is an unapologetic propaganda video for the cause of
violent jihad," Ms Taylor said.
"It glorifies those who have died."
But Kent's lawyers disputed his client was ever a serious terrorist.
John O'Sullivan told the hearing Kent made excuses when asked to meet other members
of the group.
Mr O'Sullivan said Kent was recorded by police using everything as an excuse to try
to avoid contact, from his children to having root canal work.
"Essentially he is a barracker," he said.
"There is no evidence that he acted to further the interests of the group."
Another of Kent's lawyers, John Champion, SC, said his client, whose wife is
expecting their fourth child next year, was no longer a devout Muslim and had only
visited a mosque once during a recent nine-month stint on bail.
The pre-sentence hearing before Justice Bernard Bongiorno continues on Wednesday.