Melbourne’s Bourke St killer was a drug-addled junkie and thief who no-one suspected could be a radicalised Muslim terrorist - until it was too late

The man who killed beloved Melbourne identity Sisto Malaspina was a known junkie with an extensive criminal history. 

It was a sad fact that gave cops some comfort that Hassan Khalif Shire Ali was not a threat of committing an evil attack against an unsuspecting community. 

The Melbourne cafe icon died in horrific circumstances on Bourke Street two years ago at the hands of Shire Ali. 

Melbourne identity Sisto Malaspina died in horrific circumstances in the attack in Bourke Street two years ago

Hassan Khalif Shire Ali set fire to his vehicle before luring Melburnians into his web of evil 

Coronial Judge John Cain is in the process of investigating whether Shire Ali's attack was terrorism, what key security agencies knew and whether the incident could have been prevented. 

On Wednesday, an unsworn office jockey working for Victoria Police told the coronial inquest he did not think Shire Ali had the history to warrant him being placed under further police scrutiny. 

He had been working for Victoria Police's counter terrorism team in July 2018 when a referral for Shire Ali came through from its Security Intelligence Unit, which wanted him looked into. 

A quick scan revealed Shire Ali had been a person of interest since 2015 when he had attempted to leave the country for Somalia. 

The police database also revealed he had an extensive criminal history not in line with a man 'overly adherent or observant to radical interpretation of Islam'. 

Shire Ali had a list of offences dating back to 2010 when he was busted in possession of cannabis. 

Over the next few years police surmised that Shire Ali had a chronic weed habit which was causing him to commit other crimes. 

He also appeared to be a boozer and a petty thief. 

In 2017, Shire Ali told an officer he had been 'caught up in the wrong crowd' and by then was addicted to ice. 

About a year before the attack on Bourke Street, he was found yet again by cops in possession of cannabis. 

The officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he took into account Shire Ali's history, including information he was sympathetic to Islamic State of Iraq, in knocking back the request. 

'This intelligence was largely historic and since that time, there had been little information to indicate Shire Ali had a radical interpretation of Islam or intended to commit an act of violence on a specific group,' he said. 

A lack of information on Shire Ali's personal circumstances compounded the problem. 

Hassan Khalif Shire Ali lunges at police who were forced to take him down 

Police were just one day away from arresting Hassan Khalif Shire Ali (on the ground) but were too late when the rampage attack began on Bourke Street

Police seen running toward Shire Ali (pictured, in grey jogging bottoms)_ to stop him from stabbing others during a terrorist attack on November 9 in 2018

The coronial inquest is expected to run into next week and hear evidence from Shire Ali's wife and his brother-in-law. 

On Monday, the court heard Mr Malaspina's final moments were surrounded by chaos and carnage. 

A woman knelt beside him with his head in her hands as he died.

'Still stroking his brow, repeating to him "I am so sorry", she did what she could to give Sisto dignity in death,' Catherine Fitzgerald told the court.

The beloved Melburnian had owned and operated Pellegrini's Espresso Bar since the early 70s. 

Mr Malaspina was one of three people stabbed in a frenzied 19-second attack by Shire Ali on November 9, 2018. 

Shocking evidence at the inquest revealed police were just one day away from arresting Shire Ali, but were too late when the rampage attack began with an explosion caused by gas tanks in his ute.

Shire Ali's brother Ali Khalif Shire Ali was jailed earlier this year for plotting a terror attack on Federation Square in December 2018. He was in custody at the time of Shire Ali's attack. 

'We must learn from this and be better equipped in the future to potentially prevent such events occurring again,' Judge Cain said.

The inquest will also examine the tactical response and what was known about Shire Ali to bodies including Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police and intelligence body ASIO.