Sydney gunman had violent past

Disturbing details about the man behind sixteen hours of terror in Australia are beginning to emerge.

The man who held at least 16 people hostage was born in Iran 50 years ago and according to some reports was given political asylum in Australia. He was out on bail for a string of violent incidents.

Man Haron Monis was a self described cleric who first came to police attention after sending letters to the family of dead Australian soldiers seven years ago.

Last year he was charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife and mother of two kids.

Most recently he was charged with more than 50 allegations of indecent and sexual assault going back to a time when he allegedly passed himself off as a spiritual healer who dealt in black magic.

Just last Friday, he is said to have lost an appeal to have the 2007 convictions in the letter writing incidents overturned.

Some believe that may have sparked the hostage taking today.

There are reports he felt he was treated poorly by other inmates while in jail and had been covered with feces.

A lawyer who once represented Monis said as a result of all of this he may have felt he had nothing to lose.

He said it was a random one off event.

Some are calling it a lone wolf attack. Only a month ago, Australian officials were warning of the dangers of these so called lone wolf incidents.

It’s not known at this time how Monis died. Police are not saying if he shot himself or died as a result of police gunfire.