Perth Man Accused of Attempted Invasion Day Terror Attack to Plead Mental Health Defense
32-year-old Liam Alexander Hall accused of attempting to bomb an Invasion Day rally in Perth; lawyers say he is undergoing treatment in custody and may plead not guilty by insanity.
Liam Alexander Hall, a 32-year-old man accused of attempting to bomb an Invasion Day rally in Perth, is set to plead a mental health defense, according to his lawyers. Hall was scheduled to appear before magistrate Matthew Walton via video link from Western Australia's most secure psychiatric facility on Tuesday, but the case was adjourned until May.
The Invasion Day rally, held annually on January 26th, commemorates the day in 1788 when the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Sydney Cove, marking the beginning of European colonization of Australia. For many Indigenous Australians, it is a day of mourning and protest, known as Survival Day or Aboriginal Sovereignty Day.
Hall's lawyers have indicated that he is currently undergoing treatment in custody and may mount a not guilty by insanity plea. This legal defense argues that the defendant was not mentally capable of understanding the wrongfulness of their actions at the time of the alleged crime.
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