Iranian cleric Man Haron Monis is the man police believe was behind the siege at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe in Sydney’s Martin Place.
Monis, who was granted political asylum in Australia, was on bail for a string of violent offences, including being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
He was also facing more than 40 sexual and indecent assault charges and had a conviction for sending offensive letters to families of deceased Australian soldiers.
Police were negotiating with Monis for a large part of Monday prior to officers storming the building at 2:00am (AEDT) on Tuesday.
He had entered the cafe about 9:45am (AEDT) on Monday and was holding an unknown number of staff and customers inside throughout the day.
His former lawyer, Manny Conditsis, described Monis as an isolated figure who he believed was probably acting alone.
“His ideology is just so strong and so powerful that it clouds his vision for common sense and objectiveness,” he said.
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