Agim Kruezi sentenced to 17 years in prison for plot to create ‘death or destruction’ with molotov cocktails

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A Queensland man who wanted to use improvised explosives in a domestic terrorism plot after being prevented from fighting in Syria has been jailed for 17 years.

Agim Kruezi, 25, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane supreme court on Tuesday to preparing for incursion into a foreign state and preparing or planning for a terrorist act. He was sentenced to 17 years and four months, with a non-parole period of 13 years.

Justice Rosalyn Atkinson found he had not rejected the violent extremist views that had led him to obtaining materials to create molotov cocktails to unleash a “deadly” attack.

“You remain a serious risk to the public,” Atkinson said.

She ruled Kruezi, from Logan, south of Brisbane, wanted to create “death or destruction” in Australia and was motivated by a religious duty.

Kruezi’s bid to travel to Syria to fight with the al Qaida-affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra in March 2014 was stopped by customs officers. His passport was cancelled, forcing him to turn his attention to an attack on home soil.

He bought 10 litres of petrol before attempting to buy glass bottles suitable to make molotov cocktails. Police raided his home in September 2014 and found weapons and extremist literature.

Family members and supporters sobbed as he was sentenced.