The lone Iranian-born gunman who had held 17 people, including two Indians, hostage in a deadly siege of an Australian cafe was secretive and tried to join a biker gang in one of many acts that point to a life spent trying to "achieve significance", an inquest heard today.
The coronial inquest into the 17-hour hostage drama at Lindt Cafe in Sydney's Martin Place in December opened today, with the court hearing details about the self-styled cleric's life history, mental state and "unpersuasive and unsuccessful" attempts to gain a following in Australia.
Man Haron Monis's, who took 17 people captive and made a series of demands including that he be delivered a flag of the Islamic State group, was described as a man striving for power and influence and a sexual predator who used a "spiritual healing" business to sexually assault women over many years.
"Was Monis a so-called lone wolf prosecuting an ISIS-inspired terrorist act, or was he a deranged individual pursuing some personal private grievance in a public manner?" New South Wales state coroner Michael Barnes asked.
The lawyers also described 50-year-old Monis's history of mental health issues, but said it was unlikely to "provide a full answer to the questions about his motivations for the siege."
The inquest, which will be conducted across sessions throughout the year, will examine the circumstances and issues that led to the deaths of Cafe manager Tori Johnson, barrister Katrina Dawson when heavily-armed police stormed the building and shot Monis dead.
Two Indians - Vishwakant Ankit Reddy and Pushpendu Ghosh - were among the hostages but they escaped safely.
Sophie Callan, the counsel assisting the inquest, said Monis actively sought to become involved with the Rebels Motorcycle Club some time in 2012 or 2013.
She said he dealt with the club's Mount Druitt chapter, but they saw him as "weird". "Ultimately, he was rejected by the Rebels and they took his motorbike," ABC reported.
"His constant goal in life appears to have been achieving significance," she said.
Monis repeatedly boasted that he was well connected in Iran but "was prone to grandiose claims", the inquest heard.
The court heard Monis arrived in Australia in 1996 under the name Mohammed Manteghi.
Police and hostages will be among those to take the stand during the course of the inquest.
The inquest will examine the way authorities responded to the siege and the events that took place in its aftermath.
The siege had sparked a global condemnation and an outpouring of grief, with a huge makeshift memorial of flowers near the scene. The cafe was reopened in March with simple gold plaques remembering the pair.
