Perth man accused of attempted terror attack at Invasion Day rally to plead mental health defence

Lawyers for Liam Alexander Hall say the 32-year-old is undergoing treatment in custody Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Lawyers acting for Liam Alexander Hall, a 32-year-old man accused of attempting to bomb an Invasion Day rally in Perth, have foreshadowed a potential not guilty by insanity plea. Hall was scheduled to appear before magistrate Matthew Walton via video link from Western Australia’s most secure psychiatric facility on Tuesday, but did not. Instead the case was adjourned until May. He is charged with engaging in a terrorist act, making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances, and one count of intent to harm or doing an act which could endanger the life, health or safety of any person. Hall’s lawyer, Simon Freitag, told the court they hoped to enter a plea in eight weeks’ time. “We have identified a practitioner [psychiatrist] who can do a report on Mr Hall in terms of a section 27 defence,” Freitag said. Section 27 of the Criminal Code Act provides a defence of insanity that absolves a person of criminal responsibility if a mental disease or illness has rendered them inca