Inquest hears Martin Place gunman “rushed at the talent screaming”

An inquest into 2014’s Martin Place siege has heard gunman Man Haron Monis had a history of protesting at Sunrise.

Seven’s head of security, Scott McIlveena, told the inquest that in June 2008, Monis attempted to hand out flyers criticising a story they did about the case of Dr Muhammed Haneef, the Queensland doctor whose visa was wrongly cancelled after he was alleged to have aided terrorists.

“If you want to kill people, why not use the tools of your own trade like a plague or a disease or something? Why go into an area which you’re clearly unqualified in?” it read.

Monis visited Seven three times in 2008, and once “came up the stairs screaming”, as Sunrise presenters signed autographs.

“He rushed at the talent screaming ‘you are killers and terrorists’,” said McIlveen.

“He said, ‘David Koch is the boss. He is a killer and a terrorist.’

“I couldn’t reason with him. He definitely wanted an apology.”

Seven journalist David Richardson also described his 2009 Today Tonight report about Monis sending offensive letters to the families of Australian soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

After the program went to air, Monis complained Channel Seven and then to broadcast watchdog the Australian Communications and Media Authority, however the complaint was dismissed.

Previous reports had suggested Monis also turned up outside the studios between 2009 and 2013 and wrote to former attorney-general Philip Ruddock urging launch criminal proceedings against the network.

The inquest continues.

Source: Fairfax, News Corp