{"id":792,"date":"2018-11-25T21:34:05","date_gmt":"2018-11-25T21:34:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/?p=792"},"modified":"2018-11-25T21:34:05","modified_gmt":"2018-11-25T21:34:05","slug":"man-who-helped-source-the-gun-that-killed-curtis-cheng-sentenced-to-38-years-jail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2018\/11\/25\/man-who-helped-source-the-gun-that-killed-curtis-cheng-sentenced-to-38-years-jail\/","title":{"rendered":"Man who helped source the gun that killed Curtis Cheng sentenced to 38 years\u2019 jail"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Supreme Court of New South Wales today sentenced Mr Milad Atai to 38 years\u2019 imprisonment with a non-parole period of 28 years and six months, for his part in helping source the firearm that was used in an act of terrorism.
\nMr Atai, 22, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting 15-year-old Mr Farhad Mohammed commit an act of terrorism when he shot and killed Mr Curtis Cheng outside Parramatta Police Headquarters on 2 October 2015.
\nMr Atai also pleaded guilty to two other charges of intentionally making funds available to the terrorist organisation Islamic State. A further charge of intentionally being a member of the terrorist organisation Islamic State was also taken into account on sentence.
\nMr Atai played a critical role in the lead up to this terrorist act. He attended a number of meetings with his co-offenders in an effort to source and fund the purchase of the firearm used to kill Mr Cheng. He also attempted to have an extremist flag made with the intention it would be used in this terrorist act.
\nThe day before the terrorist act in which Mr Cheng was killed, Shadi Mohammad (Farhad\u2019s sister), left Australia for Syria. Her travel was organised and paid for with funds raised by Mr Atai. Mr Atai was also involved in raising a further sum of $5,000 for Islamic State.
\nMr Atai was also part of an online WhatsApp closed chat group where members shared radical Islamist views and discussed their support of Islamic State. The chat group was called the \u2018Bricks Forum\u2019 and the group\u2019s profile picture was an Islamic State flag.
\nDuring his sentence hearing in September, Mr Atai gave evidence and said that he was “sorry” to Mr Cheng’s family. However, prior to sentence, Mr Atai wrote letters to the Australian Federal Police and Crown counsel in which he said he was \u201cnot sorry\u201d, \u201cnor regretful\u201d, for his actions. He indicated he did not want a discount on his sentence for remorse.
\nIn sentencing, Justice Johnson of the Supreme Court of New South Wales said the comments in these letters were cruel, devoid of basic humanity and were evidence of a \u201cwarped and criminal belief system\u201d.
\nJustice Johnson said Mr Atai had shown no contrition or remorse and his prospects of rehabilitation were not favourable.
\nHe said the Victim Impact Statement from the Cheng family illustrated how Mr Curtis Cheng was a fine man and a beloved father. The Court was told that the day her husband was murdered was the longest and most painful day of Mrs Selina Cheng\u2019s life. Justice Johnson said it was clear that Mrs Cheng had suffered enormously.
\nHe said the \u201cfortitude, strength, courage, humanity, decency and dignity of the Cheng family\u201d had \u201cmanifested themselves constantly\u201d as the Cheng family had attended \u201cwhat are undoubtedly difficult and challenging court proceedings for them\u201d.
\nSummary of charges:<\/strong><\/p>\n