SYDNEY — An Australian court on Monday ordered the bail revoked for the partner of a self-styled sheikh who last week stormed a Sydney cafe at gunpoint, sparking a 16-hour hostage crisis that left three people dead — including the gunman.
Amirah Droudis was ordered by a Sydney court to return to jail to await trial. Last year, Droudis was bailed after being charged in connection with the stabbing murder of hostage-taker Man Haron Monis' ex-wife, who was set alight in a Sydney apartment block. Monis, who had been charged as an accessory to the murder, had also been free on bail.
Chief Magistrate Graeme Henson cited Droudis' prior convictions, the particularly heinous nature of the alleged offense and the possibility she might skip bail as factors in deciding to remand her in custody until trial. The police commissioner in New South Wales state, Andrew Scipione, said last week he was concerned that Monis had been granted bail on earlier charges, sparking calls for a wider review of the bail system.
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