Gunman known to authorities

Man Haron Monis, the Iranian refugee identified as the gunman behind a deadly siege at a downtown Sydney cafe, was no stranger to Australian law enforcement officials or the media.

Dubbed “the fake sheik,” the 50-year-old self-styled Muslim cleric who died in an exchange of gunfire with police had gained a degree of notoriety in recent years for sending taunting letters to the families of Australian service members killed in Afghanistan, telling them that their loved ones were murderers.

Late last year, he was charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife, Noleen Hayson Pal, who was stabbed and set on fire at a suburban apartment block, allegedly by his girlfriend, Amirzh Droudis. He was later charged with dozens of counts of sexual and indecent assault, allegedly carried out more than a decade ago when he claimed to be a “spiritual healer” who dealt with black magic. He was out on bail in both cases.

On his website and in social media posts, Monis is said to have railed against the United States and Australia for their military actions against Islamic militants in Iraq and Afghanistan.