New details about Bondi Junction stabber
Joel Cauchi stopped taking antipsychotic medication just under five years before he fatally stabbed six people and wounded 10 others during the Westfield Bondi Junction attack, an inquest has been told.
Cheng Yixuan, 27, Pikria Darchia, 55, Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47, Faraz Ahmed Tahir, 30, and Ashlee Good, 38, died during Cauchi’s shocking three-minute frenzied attack on the afternoon of April 13 this year.
An inquest will next year examine the tragic events and whether it could have been avoided after Cauchi, 40, pulled a hunting knife from his backpack and indiscriminately stabbed 16 people.
At the NSW Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, family members of the victims watched on as the matter came before the court for the first time for a preliminary directions hearing.
“At the outset, I offer my sincere condolences to the loved ones, many of whom are in court today and who can’t be here in person,” said NSW State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan, who is overseeing the inquest.
“It’s important to me and my assisting team and everyone working on this that you feel safe, heard and cared for during these coronial proceedings.”
She also acknowledged the families’ “unimaginable loss” and that nothing could “give back what was taken from you”.
“The events of 13 April remain raw and painful for all those who have been impacted,” Ms O’Sullivan said.
The court was told on Tuesday that in under three minutes, Cauchi stabbed 16 people before he was shot dead during a confrontation with Inspector Amy Scott.
The court was told that Cauchi developed schizophrenia in his teens while living in Toowoomba, Queensland, and from 2001 until 2012 he was managed in the public health system.
From 2012 until February 2020, he saw a private psychiatrist.
Counsel assisting the coroner Peggy Dwyer SC told the court that Cauchi was on medication from December 2011, but it was gradually reduced over time until it was stopped entirely in June 2019.
“From early 2020 to 13 April 2024, there was no particular treatment directed at Mr Cauchi’s mental health and the evidence suggests a deterioration in his mental health over that time,” Dr Dwyer said.
The court was told that Cauchi had not been charged with a criminal offence before the horrific events of April 13.
But he had come to the attention of NSW and Queensland police before his death.
In January, 2023 Cauchi called Toowoomba police, accusing his father of stealing his knives, which he collected.
But the court was told that his father told officers that Cauchi was a long-term schizophrenic, he was no longer medicated and they were worried about his mental state, leading him to confiscate the knives.
Cauchi called police a month later, complaining that his father had again taken his knives, prompting police to enter a Be On the Lookout flag in their system.
The court was told that Cauchi was living in Sydney and homeless in the time leading up to his death, including living under the Maroubra Beach pavilion.
The inquest will also examine Cauchi’s movements on the day, with the court being told he accessed a storage locker at Waterloo before travelling by public transport around the CBD and Bondi before arriving at Bondi Junction.
He entered Westfield Bondi Junction at 3.12pm and walked around until he stabbed his first victim, Ms Singleton, as she stood in line at a bakery at 3.32pm.
The court was also told of how Ms Good fought off Cauchi as he began to attack her nine-month-old daughter, who was sitting in her pram at the time.
Her daughter was also stabbed but survived.
Cauchi’s rampage came to an end when he charged at Inspector Scott, with the knife in his right hand. She fired three times, hitting him once in the neck and once in the shoulder.
Inspector Scott “clearly saved lives”, Dr Dwyer said.
The inquest will examine Cauchi’s contact with police in Queensland and NSW and whether there could have been early intervention.
As well, the court was told that an alarm was not sounded inside the centre until a minute after Cauchi had been shot.
Sheraz Tahir, the brother of security guard Faraz Tahir, said outside court that while it was difficult, he wanted to know what happened on that day.
“Faraz, he was a brave man. He was bare-handed and he was on duty at the time and he was just trying to stop the attacker and gave his life,” he said.
He added he “just wanted to know what happened that day” and hoped the inquest would lead to change, including better protections for security guards.
The matter will return to court in April before a five-week hearing will begin on April 28.