The man who shot up Canberra Airport claims he was falsely imprisoned for the attempted murder of his ex-wife, and was trying to send a message to the Australian government when he fired a revolver.
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Ali Rachid Ammoun, who was 63 at the time, fired five shots at windows inside the airport terminal in August 2022, sending passengers running for their lives.
He was on parole at the time of the offence, having served 14-and-a-half years behind bars in Western Australia for offences that included the attempted murder.
During sentence proceedings in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday, Ammoun took the stand to give evidence.
"I didn't walk into Canberra Airport to do what I did for fun," he said.
"I did my best not to harm, to hurt, anybody.
"If you know what you're doing, there's nothing dangerous [about guns].100 per cent, I know what I'm doing."
The shooter claimed he was sending "a message a lot of Australians wouldn't understand" to the federal government.
The court heard Ammoun had turned his thoughts towards the act three days before the shooting.
On the day of the incident, Ammoun took a taxi from his home in Sydney directly to Canberra Airport.
Ammoun said after firing a .38/200 Smith & Wesson revolver, he picked up the discharged shells, put the gun "in a safe place" and waited for police arrive.
In a briefcase by his side, he had documentation he believed would prove he had not tried to murder his ex-wife.
In court, Ammoun repeatedly attempted to read these documents aloud.
Ammoun said he had officially approached 25 people - including politicians, police officers and reporters - in the months before the shooting.
However, he told the court: "No one would listen."
Ammoun denied seeking revenge against lawyers, paramedics and journalists involved in his previous court case, despite a psychologist's report saying otherwise.
While on the stand, Ammoun pointed to witnesses sitting in the back of the courtroom, saying he was not responsible for what happened to them.
He suggested they sue people involved in the WA case - particularly the ABC - for at least $5 million each.
Giving evidence, Ammoun said he was a chef and was planning to open a restaurant but believed WA police had taken $30 million from him. Ammoun is now working as a cook while in custody in Canberra's jail.
The offender recalled a childhood marred by war in Lebanon, where his father had been kidnapped and his sister was killed by a sniper.
Ammoun said he had trained with AK-47 assault rifles and served on the frontline of the war.
The court heard a total of 15 victim impact statements as Ammoun, who has pleaded guilty to charges of recklessly discharging a firearm at a building, and unauthorised possession of a firearm, on Thursday.
Multiple witnesses recalled the terror they felt on the day of the shooting.
One witness recalled leading her blind sister through Canberra Airport as the pair tried to hide from the gunman.
The witness' elderly mother ran behind them, cradling a seven-month-old baby in her arms.
Among other witnesses were a husband, wife and their adult daughter, who were waiting to board a flight to Brisbane when Ammoun started firing.
The daughter fell and broke her leg while fleeing from the gunshots.
In a statement read in court, she described lying on the ground unable to run and believing "right there and then" she would die.
Witnesses said they did not know if there was one shooter or 10, and thought the shots were part of a terrorist attack.
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Legal Aid lawyer Tamzin Lee argued her client had achieved "what he said he needed to do at the airport, which was to draw attention to his plight."
"The intention was not to create the panic, physical harm or the emotional and mental harm that has clearly resulted from his behaviour," she said.
Prosecutor Andrew Chatterton told the court Ammoun had been diagnosed with delusional disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.
"This case is novel in that this appears to be the first time that an incident like this has occurred in Australia," Mr Chatterton said.
Magistrate Ian Temby indicated he would sentence Ammoun next Wednesday.
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