Raban Alou has been sentenced to 44 years in jail over his role in the murder of New South Wales police accountant, Curtis Cheng, in 2015.

Alou, 20, supplied the Smith & Wesson .38 revolver that Farhad Jabar used to kill Cheng outside police headquarters in Parramatta, western Sydney in October 2015.

Cheng died instantly and Jabar, 15, was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police.

After hearing the verdict at NSW supreme court in Parramatta on Thursday, Alou made a one-finger salute and said “this is the beginning”.

NSW supreme court justice, Peter Johnson, said Alou’s outburst as he was led from the court reinforced that he had no remorse or contrition and his prospects of rehabilitation were “almost hopeless”.

Curtis Cheng’s widow, Selina, and her son, Alpha, speak to the media in Parramatta after the verdict. Photograph: Glenn Campbell/AAP



Johnson sentenced Alou to 44 years in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years for aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring a terrorist act. It’s the first time anyone in Australia has been convicted and sentenced for that offence.

Justice Johnson said Alou was an active planner who played a lead role in the murder and Jabar couldn’t have committed it without his assistance.

He said the 20-year-old’s outburst confirmed he felt no remorse and his prospects for rehabilitation were “almost hopeless”.

Alou’s lack of contrition was “demonstrated most starkly” in a prison phone call last year when he said “I do not regret one single thing that I did on that day” and “I’m never ever going to say I’m sorry for what I did”.

“The wickedness and cowardice of the offender and Farhad Mohammad may be contrasted with the strength, courage, humanity, decency and dignity of the Cheng family in their response to this random act of homicidal violence,” Justice Johnson said.

Cheng’s son, Alpha, said it was repulsive anyone could celebrate acts of violence and hatred. But he didn’t want to give fuel to Alou’s actions in court.

“I try to block it out and not acknowledge what he’s trying to do, which is to agitate and infuriate other people,” Alpha Cheng told reporters.

The court heard Alou was trying to source a gun more than a week before Cheng was killed on 2 October 2015.

Justice Johnson said there was significant planning involved and Alou, who also tried to obtain an IS flag to be used in the attack, was committed to carrying out a terrorist act.

He was prepared to exploit Jabar knowing the plan involved killing at least one or more people and the gunman could die, the judge said.

The then 18-year-old made requests to two people before a third person was able to provide a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 revolver the day of the killing. Alou gave it to Jabar during a meeting at Parramatta Mosque.

Alou will be 51 when he is eligible for parole in October 2048, with his sentence expiring in 2059.

But Justice Johnson warned him an application could be made for a continuing detention order requiring him to remain in prison at the end of his sentence.

