The publicly funded barrister representing accused Bondi massacre shooter Naveed Akram has broken his neck in a bodysurfing accident.
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barrister → fund → accident
Richard Wilson SC, who was appointed NSW's Senior Public Defender just seven months ago, fractured his neck in two places in August at a Gold Coast beach.
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who → appoint → beach
He is understood to be recuperating but whether he will remain as Akram's defence counsel or hand the case to another public defender - given he will be off work until at least February - is unclear.
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he → understand → February
A well-placed legal source told the Daily Mail the likelihood of Mr Wilson continuing to handle the Akram brief would depend on factors including the timeframe of the case and the progression of his recovery.
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Wilson → place → recovery
'He broke his neck in two separate places,' the source said.
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source → break → places
'
The Public Defenders office's focus would be on Mr Wilson's health 'but certainly they are very concerned as to what's going to happen' with the Akram case, the source said.
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source → go → case
Akram has been in custody since being arrested after 15 people were shot dead while celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach on December 14 last year.
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people → arrest → December
The 25-year-old's father Sajid, 50, was shot dead by police in the ISIS-inspired massacre, which claimed the lives of 11 men, three women, and a 10-year-old girl.
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which → shoot → men
Richard Wilson SC, the publicly funded barrister representing accused Bondi massacre shooter Naveed Akram, has broken his neck in a bodysurfing accident and will be off work until at least February.
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SC → fund → February
(Mr Wilson is pictured outside court)
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Wilson → picture → court
Akram (above) has been in custody since being arrested after 15 people were shot dead while celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach on December 14 last year
The attack was the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, in which 35 people were killed.
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people → arrest → which
A box-like bomb was found in the boot of the Akrams' car and two hand-painted ISIS flags were also inside the vehicle.
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flags → find → vehicle
Akram is charged with 15 counts of murder, 43 of attempted murder, 10 of shoot with intent to murder and seven of discharging a firearm with intent.
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Akram → charge → intent
He is further charged with one count each of committing a terrorist act, causing explosives to be placed in a public place and displaying a terrorist organisation symbol.
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explosives → charge → symbol
The case is being run by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) upon referral by the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT).
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case → run → Team
The JCTT is comprised of members drawn from the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and NSW Crime Commission.
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JCTT → comprise → Force
Akram, who has not been required to enter pleas, is set for a committal mention at Downing Centre Local Court on October 28, the same day the balance of the prosecution brief is to be served on the defence.
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balance → require → defence
The matter is also listed at the same court on Monday when broadcaster SBS will seek access to a restricted witness list which was sought by other media.
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which → list → media
Mr Wilson (right) is understood to be recuperating but whether he remains as Akram's defence counsel or hands the case to another public defender is unclear
Akram (above) is charged with 15 counts of murder, 43 of attempted murder, 10 of shoot with intent to murder and seven of discharging a firearm with intent
Akram is being represented by solicitors Ben Archbold and Leonie Gittani, from the law firm Archbold Gittani, who were instructing Mr Wilson.
Repeated attempts to contact Mr Archbold and Ms Gittani by phone, text and email were unsuccessful.
The legal source who confirmed Mr Wilson's injuries said the solicitors would be keen to instruct another barrister as soon as possible if Mr Wilson was unable to continue.
'They'd be very concerned that Wilson's not coming back until February,' he said.
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he → understand → February
'Say the hearing date's in May next year, [Mr Wilson] should be in a position to do it, if he wants to do it.
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he → say → it
He's going to have to ask himself, "Do I want this stress and strain?
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I → go → stress
I might be well-prepared but am I up to doing a case like this?"
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I → prepare → this
Public defenders are salaried barristers independent of the government and appear in serious matters for clients who have been granted legal aid.
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who → appear → aid
At a hearing in March, Mr Wilson acknowledged Akram (above) had been charged over the worst terrorist attack in Australia's history
The source said if Mr Wilson decided to hand the brief to another barrister in his office that would present some complications for the defence.
'
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that → acknowledge → defence
He'll have to ask around the senior people at the Public Defenders, to see first of all if anybody wants to put their hand up.
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anybody → have → hand
I can't imagine they would.
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they → imagine → ?
And then he'd have to go back to the solicitors and say, "Look, I'm sorry but I've got to return the brief", and the solicitors will have to find somebody to deal with it.'
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solicitors → have → it
The Public Defenders office declined to comment on whether another barrister had taken over the Akram brief on an interim basis, or even confirm Mr Wilson had suffered a serious injury.
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Wilson → decline → injury
'We do not comment on the private health matters of legal practitioners, nor do we provide information regarding counsel assignments, representation arrangements, or other internal case management matters,' chambers manager Ilona Kernick said.
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Kernick → comment → assignments
A spokesman for the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions said: 'Enquiries relating to Mr Wilson SC should be directed to the NSW Public Defenders Chambers.'
Mourners are pictured laying flowers at a makeshift memorial at Bondi Pavilion a week after the attack which left 11 men, three women and a 10-year-old girl dead
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which → say → girl
At a hearing in March, Mr Wilson acknowledged Akram was accused of committing with his father the worst terrorist attack in Australia's history.
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Akram → acknowledge → history
Mr Wilson was seeking a non-publication order over the names of his client's mother, brother and sister, who he told Downing Centre Local Court had received death threats.
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he → seek → threats
'The outpouring of public grief, public outrage and public anger at what he and his father allegedly did are unprecedented, extraordinary and absolutely understandable,' Mr Wilson said.
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Wilson → say → what
'However, there is no suggestion [Akram's] mother, brother or sister had anything to do with it.'
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mother → be → it
Judge Hugh Donnelly declined to grant Mr Wilson's application in April, deeming it futile as the names and addresses of Akram's family members were widely known, while noting they had nothing to do with the attack.
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they → decline → attack
'This case has unprecedented public interest, outrage, anger and grief,' Judge Donnelly said.
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Donnelly → have → interest
Mr Wilson, who was described as a 'very introspective, private bloke', as well as a committed bodysurfer, has been a public defender for more than 12 years.
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who → describe → years
He serves as co-chair of the National Criminal Law Committee of the Law Council of Australia and was previously a barrister at Seventh Floor Garfield Barwick Chambers.
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He → serve → Chambers
He graduated with first class honours in Arts (1990) and Law (1993) from the Australian National University in Canberra, practised as a solicitor in the ACT and NSW and became a barrister in 2004.
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Attorney-General Michael Daley said he was 'thrilled' to announce Mr Wilson as the state's Senior Public Defender - a seven-year appointment - in February.
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he → say → February
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
