Yahoo News Two more charged with rioting outside Sydney church after bishop stabbing
A third person has been charged with rioting outside a Sydney church after the stabbing of bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel on Monday.
An estimated 2,000 people descended on the Wakeley church after the attack on Emmanuel, damaging 94 police vehicles and leaving 26 officers injured, according to police.
New South Wales police said that about 7.20am on Saturday they arrested a man in Horningsea Park in Sydney’s west.
The 28-year-old was later charged with the offence of “ threaten violence, cause fear” and he was expected to face Parramatta bail court on Saturday.
On Friday evening another man, 45-year-old Sam Haddad, was arrested at a Fairfield Heights home and charged with rioting and threatening violence and causing fear over his alleged involvement in the wild scenes outside the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd church on Monday night.
Haddad fronted Parramatta bail court on Saturday and was granted bail on the condition he report to police every day and live at a specific address.
He was next due before Fairfield local court on Wednesday.
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with committing a terrorist act in relation to the alleged stabbing, which was seen on a livestream of Emmanuel’s service.
His lawyer, Greg Scragg, told a court on Friday that the boy had a history of receiving treatment for his mental health since he was five years old and had shown behaviour consistent with mental illness or intellectual disability.
The charge comes with a potential sentence of life in prison.
The first person arrested and charged for taking part in the riots was granted bail on Thursday after appearing at Blacktown local court.
Dani Mansour, 19, was charged with riot, affray and destroying or damaging property as part of the mob that allegedly attacked police.
Mansour was granted bail on strict conditions, including a ban on accessing social media.
He must present his phone to police once a week, cannot contact anyone involved in the riot, can only travel to and from work, cannot enter Wakeley, cannot attend the church, and he must report to police every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The court heard Mansour allegedly filmed himself smashing two police vehicles and taking part in the riot, posting the footage to his personal Instagram page.
He will face court again on 2 May.
The NSW police commissioner, Karen Webb, has said police needed help identifying the rioters, some of whom wore masks during the violence.
The force established Strike Force Dribs to investigate the rioters.
“People in the community know who they are, their families know who they are, and we need to know who they are,” Webb said.
“We have some people that have jumped on multiple police cars. One individual has a very distinctive tattoo on his torso, of a face, while he has cowardly hid his own face.”
Webb said 42 detectives were working to identify 50 people from the 2,000 that were present.
“The sooner they are identified [and] put before the court, the sooner they can be dealt with.”
