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Sydney siege gunman was narcissist, inquest hears

The inquest into a siege at a cafe in central Sydney resumed today with the focus on the Iranian-born hostage taker, whom lawyers described as a narcissist “prone to grandiose claims”.

Man Haron Monis, a reported Islamic State sympathiser, took 18 people hostage for more than 16 hours at the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place in mid-December.

Police stormed the cafe and killed Monis after he gunned down the manager.

The inquest opened in January and found a second hostage was killed by police gunfire.

Counsel assisting the inquiry Jeremy Gormly SC told the Sydney District Court the inquest would probe the background and motivations of Monis.

The inquest heard Monis, then known as Mohammed Manteghi, had sought asylum in Australia in 1996 citing persecution after his conversion to Ahmadi Islam.

Gormly said he subsequently caused “continuing trouble” for Australian government workers and his former bosses.

Monis worked as a Persian carpet salesman, a security guard and set up a spiritual healing practice.

The court heard he had claimed to be the son of an ayatollah and a former Iranian spy.

New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes, in his opening remarks, said the inquest was of national importance and would look deeply into Monis’ background.

“Was Monis a so-called lone wolf prosecuting an Isis-inspired terrorist act?” Barnes said.

“Or was he a deranged individual pursuing a personal and private grievance in a public manner?”

The Sydney Siege came some two months after Australia raised its national terrorism alert level to ‘high’.

Monis was already facing 43 aggravated and indecent assault charges at the time of the cafe siege.

In 2009 he was sentenced to 300 hours’ community service and a two-year good behaviour bond on charges of harassing the families of deceased Australian soldiers.

The inquest is expected to continue hearings for two more weeks.

- dpa

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