A man accused of plotting terror attacks in Melbourne says a how-to document he wrote called the "Patriot's Cookbook" was aimed at opposing terrorism and not inciting it.
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Philip Galea also claims maps he gave another man showing how specific buildings could be accessed were "absolutely fictional", and inspired in part by the television show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The 35-year-old was questioned by his lawyer Felicity Gerry QC in his trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Tuesday.
He has been accused of plotting attacks on Melbourne anarchist and socialist groups between August 2015 and 2016.
Galea wanted to target the city's anarchist club, as well as the Melbourne Resistance Centre and Trades Hall "to eliminate the leaders of the left", prosecutors previously told the court.
He was also allegedly working on a terror how-to document he called the "Patriot's Cookbook".
Galea - who was associated with the far-right group Reclaim Australia - insists the first version of the guide was meant to be a Monty Python-esque satire.
It had included references to "building destruction" and a "massacre".
"I intended it to be taken as a joke," he said.
"I'd intended to include disclaimers every couple of pages which would be taking the piss out of the content ... taking the piss out of everyone and everything".
He later re-wrote the document, aiming for it to be a "serious political book" giving "step-by-step advice on activism".
But he insists it wasn't aimed at encouraging terrorist attacks.
"I would not describe it as a terrorist manual. I would describe it, if anything, as an anti-terrorist manual," he said.
Galea said he had joined Reclaim Australia because he opposed Islamic extremism.
Asked about maps of underground tunnels he gave another man linked to Reclaim Australia, showing how certain buildings could be accessed, Galea said they were "absolutely fictional".
Galea said he had only wanted to see whether the man would share the information with police, confirming his suspicious that he was acting as an informant.
"I was trying to unearth the dog," Galea said.
The maps had been inspired by watching the TV show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and reading about the catacombs.
The accused terror plotter was arrested in August 2016.
Arson and explosive experts raided Galea's home in November 2015 and seized five cattle prods and 362.1 grams of mercury.
Computer equipment was also seized, and it's alleged Galea researched homemade bombs, ballistic armour and guns.
Galea described himself as a self-taught electrical engineer who was using the mercury to replicate an engine originally created by 19th century English scientist Michael Faraday.
The jury will be given an opportunity to read the later version of the "Patriot's Cookbook" in full, before Galea is expected to be questioned again on Wednesday.
Australian Associated Press
