Man sentenced to 15 years for planned Sydney attacks

The leader of a terrorist organisation that planned attacks on a naval base, courthouse and Mardi Gras parade in Sydney has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Hamdi Alqudsi, was sentenced on Tuesday. A jury previously found him guilty of directing the activities of The Shura, an Islamic State-aligned terror group, from August to December 2014.

The group planned to attack the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the Israeli embassy and the Garden Island Naval Base in Woolloomooloo. There was also a planned targeted strike on the Australian Federal Police at a NSW Supreme Court hearing.

The Shura was formed in 2013 to send fighters from Australia to Syria and pledged allegiance to IS in August 2014.

Alqudsi was the commander of the group and held meetings, during which potential terror plots were discussed.

Alqudsi is already in prison, after being convicted in 2016 of sending members of the group to Syria.

Justice Stephen Rothman said "The terrorist acts that were contemplated or discussed … were most serious, involving significant loss of life to many and injury to others".

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