Thomas tells court bin Laden is polite, shy
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Thomas described Osama bin Laden as humble. (AAP: Julian Smith, file photo)
The Victorian Supreme Court has heard a description of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from a Melbourne man who trained to fight in Afghanistan.
Thirty-five-year-old Joseph (Jack) Terrence Thomas has pleaded not guilty to intentionally receiving funds from a terrorist organisation and possessing a falsified passport.
A video of an interview Thomas did with ABC journalist Sally Neighbour in 2005 has been played to the court.
In the interview, Thomas said there was a festive atmosphere in the training camp during bin Laden's visits with explosions and bullets fired during the night.
The court heard Thomas described bin Laden as polite, humble and shy and he told Ms Neighbour the terrorist leader was well loved.
Earlier the court was told about the prison conditions Thomas was held in when he was arrested in Pakistan in 2003.
Under cross-examination, Fairfax journalist Ian Munro testified Thomas had told him of being kept in a cell the size of a dog house with his legs bolted to the floor and with a hood over his face.
The court heard Thomas could hear other people screaming in adjacent cells.
The court was also told Americans who were present threatened him and denied him water.
