White nationalism motivated terror plot, court told

On Wednesday, the opening day of Vasilyev's trial, prosecutor Justin Hannebery, KC, told the jury the defendant was preparing for an attack on the Cherry Gardens substation. 

"That act fulfils the definition of a terrorist act," he said.

Mr Hannebery said people had their own "day-to-day" interpretation of the phrase "terrorist act" but it had a "very specific legal meaning" in this case.

He said a terror attack was carried out "in advance of a political, religious or ideological cause" to "influence the government" or "intimidate the public".

The complexity of the charge "perhaps masks the simplicity in this case", he said.

"Namely, that Vasilyev had the intention to promote his particular ideological cause, white nationalism.

"To do that, he was planning to attack an electrical substation and in doing that, he did certain things to prepare ... to do a terrorist act."

Mr Hannebery said five alleged acts constituted the physical elements of the offence including the defendant undertaking digital reconnaissance for potential targets, namely electrical substations and surrounds.

He said he also researched means of attack by explosives and firearms and ways to avoid being discovered. 

He said the words "in preparation for, or planning" ... "basically encompass what I'll call the mental element of the act".

"The prosecution are saying he did those five things. And at the times he did those five things, you have a certain thing on his mind, you have a certain purpose ... namely that he was doing those things in preparation for planning a terrorist act."

 Mr Hannebery said the alleged motivation for the planned action was ideological.

"In the course of this trial, you'll hear some evidence about Vasilyev's adherence to an ideology that can be described as white nationalism," he said.

"And you'll hear some expert evidence about what that ideology is all about." 

The trial before Justice Sandi McDonald is expected to last four weeks.