Author:
Publication: 9News.com
Date: September 20, 2018
URL:      https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/09/20/12/52/student-admits-melbourne-terrorism-act

A Bangladeshi student who plunged a knife into the neck of her Melbourne homestay host has pleaded guilty to engaging in a terrorist act in the name of violent jihad.

Momena Shoma, 25, entered the plea to a single charge during a brief Victorian Supreme Court hearing on Thursday.

The diminutive woman came to Australia under the guise of a student visa and had been in Australia a week when she allegedly took a 25cm kitchen knife to Roger Singaravelu's neck as he dozed beside his five-year-old daughter.

By her plea, Shoma admitted the act at the Mill Park house last February was done with the intention of "advancing a political, religious or ideological cause, namely violent jihad".

It was also done to coerce, or influence by intimidating, the government or the public, or both.

"The action caused serious harm that is physical harm to Roger Singaravelu and endangered his life," the formal indictment says.

"The action was not advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action.

"Alternatively, if the action was advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action, it was intended to cause a person's death."

Shoma was enrolled in a masters of linguistics course at La Trobe University but had been looking for a moment to attack someone since arriving in Australia.

She told police she had been practising by stabbing a pillow during her stay with a different family earlier in the week but chose to attack Mr Singaravelu because, as he was sleeping, he was "very vulnerable".

Shoma had been staying with his family 48 hours and he had barely spoken 50 words to her when he woke up to "excruciating" neck pain.

"I saw (her) right next to me. She was on her knees with both of her hands on a knife that was in my neck," he said in his statement.

Mr Singaravelu said Shoma was repeating the words "allah akbar".

He pushed her away, pulled the knife from his neck and fled with his daughter.

Shoma told police Islamic State had been encouraging women to carry out jihadist attacks in the West and most of her interaction with the group was via Facebook.

"I just felt obligated, and it was like a burden on me. Yeah, I just had to do it."