Australian bomb plotter loses appeal
The first person to be jailed under Australias tough new anti-terrorism laws has lost his appeal to have his sentence reduced.
British-born and Muslim convert Jack Roche, reports The Australian, was jailed for nine years for plotting with al-Qaeda to blow up the Israeli embassy in Canberra. Roche had appealed against the length of the sentence, arguing that it did not take into account his extensive co-operation with Australian authorities. But in its decision the Western Australian Court of Criminal Appeal rejected the appeal. It also rejected a parallel appeal by prosecutors to have the sentence increased, although one of the three judges said he would have increased Roche\'s sentence to 15 years. Full report in The Australian