The first man to be arrested over Monday night’s Wakeley unrest has been granted strict bail after a court heard he was allegedly involved in kicking two police cars,with footage of his alleged actions posted to his Instagram account
Dani Mansour,19,was arrested on Wednesday night as terrorism police stormed into his Doonside home. He was charged with riot,affray and destroying or damaging property over the riot that followed the stabbing attack of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley.
At Blacktown Local Court on Thursday,Mansour appeared in the dock in his prison greens with family supporting him in the public gallery.
Police allege Mansour was involved in kicking police cars and posted videos of his alleged criminal behaviour on his Instagram story as more than 2,000 people gathered outside the church.
The court heard Mansour is a barber at Mount Druitt is the sole breadwinner for his parents and sister,whom he lives with. It also heard he has no prior convictions.
Magistrate Aaron Tang said that while Mansour’s alleged offending was “serious and violent” and carries a maximum of 15 years in jail,it was less serious than some of the other violence other rioters allegedly committed.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Reuben van Der Byl argued against Mansour being granted bail due to the risk of him interfering with other witnesses,further endangering the community and committing further alleged offences.
But Tang ultimately granted bail,noting his clean criminal record and need to financially support his family could be balanced with strict bail conditions effectively equalling home detention.
Under his conditions,he must not leave home unless travelling to work,reporting to police or for medical emergencies,not use social media and not contact any prosecution witness except through a lawyer. “There’s no place for vigilante justice in our society,” Tang said.
“Police have a very difficult job to play as do ambulance officers… police were attending to do their job … already aware it would’ve been violent,let alone them being confronted with an even more violent situation with the alleged riot… those who acted in the riot acted in reprehensible way”.
Tang said that as of Thursday morning,Mansour was the first and only person arrested at the riot,which saw 94 police cars damaged,and 26 officers injured,but many more arrests were likely.