Lindt Cafe inquest: Siege victim Katrina Dawson suffered at least seven gunshot wounds

Sydney siege hostage Katrina Dawson suffered at least seven gunshot wounds, according to chilling evidence revealed at an inquest.

The mum-of-three’s final moments during the Lindt Café siege were spent hiding under a chair in the dark, as police shot at gunman Man Monis in a bloody shootout that concluded the hostage crisis.

Ms Dawson, a barrister, was killed after Man Monis shot and killed Lindt Café manager Tori Johnson.

Monis was then shot four times by police when they stormed the cafe, and police bullets also hit a police officer.

Experts concluded Ms Dawson, 38, was hit in the right shoulder, right upper back, left shoulder, left upper back, upper back neck area and twice in the right side of the neck during the final moments of the siege which ended at 2.13am on December 16, 2014.

The inquest heard two Tactical Operations Unit officers, code named Officers A and B, who stormed the café under the belief the gunman had a bomb, were armed with semi-automatic M4 carbines with 55-grain .223 Winchester bullets.

Officer A reportedly fired 17 rounds and Officer B fired five when they ran into the café.

Man Monis fired his sawn-off shotgun five times.

The inquest heard Ms Dawson was in the corner near Monis when police stormed the café.

She was found alive and lying face down after the shoot out, later dying of her injuries.

A chair Ms Dawson was hiding under was struck 10 times, ballistics expert Lucas Van der Walt said timber fragments were found on her clothing.

Mr Van der Walt thought it was only one bullet and 55 ‘grains’ that were taken from her wounds.

He claimed Monis was struck with four intact bullets, at least two to the head.

The pathologist who carried out the post-mortem on Monis claimed he had been hit by between seven and nine intact bullets.

Officer B was struck in the cheek and thigh from fragments of police bullets, possibly his own.

Three other hostages were also treated for gunshot wounds.

The police commander in charge claimed it would have been safer to storm the Lindt Café at a time of their choosing, but that plan was not approved.

They were only able to enter the café after the death or serious injury or imminent death or serious injury of a hostage.