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Scentre Group (owner of Westfield in Australia and New Zealand) and the community together observed one year since the Bondi Junction tragedy
the Bondi community was shattered by an unfathomable act of violence at Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre when six innocent people’s lives were taken in terrible circumstances
recognising the community’s response in the days following the tragic incident
Bondi Junction for one week from 10-16 April
Members of the public were encouraged to visit the display boards in Oxford Street Mall to take a moment to reflect on the tragic incident
remembering the lives lost and the outpouring of love from the community that followed
Discussions are underway for a permanent memorial
The NSW Government continues to provide a range of support to survivors through Victims Support Services
Our thoughts are with the victims’ families
who carry the memory and the burden of that terrible day and whose lives were changed forever
We pay respect to the Traditional Custodians and First Peoples of NSW
and acknowledge their continued connection to their country and culture
CCTV footage released by court shows Amy Scott walking up an escalator
then starting to run when she sees Joel Cauchi
The New South Wales coroner’s court has released footage showing the moment the Bondi Junction stabber launched himself towards a lone police officer at speed holding a 30cm knife
is a compilation of CCTV footage and a 3D reconstruction of the route NSW Police inspector Amy Scott took when she entered Westfield Bondi Junction on 13 April 2024 in pursuit of Joel Cauchi
flanked by two French bystanders and a security guard
the court on Tuesday heard that Scott then used silent signals
not wanting to shout within earshot of Cauchi
to direct a woman with a pram – who was hiding behind a large plant pot – to run
The officer called out “mate” to get Cauchi’s attention
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The inquest heard earlier in the week that Scott fired three rounds, with two hitting Cauchi and a third hitting a pot plant behind him. Cauchi fell 6.5 metres from Scott.
On Thursday, the court heard that a specialised paramedic who was duty officer for NSW Ambulance’s special operations team on the day of the Bondi Junction stabbing attack that he learned of the major incident “by accident”.
The duty officer also told the inquest into the deaths that specialist paramedics did not have easy access to ballistic personal protective equipment (PPE).
The witness, known only as “SOT1”, told counsel assisting the coroner Emma Sullivan there were 57 trained special operations team (SOT) paramedics in Sydney. They wear ballistic body armour and helmets when supporting tactical operations police in high-risk environments.
The New South Wales coroner’s court heard on Thursday that SOT1 learned of the incident at 3.46pm “by accident”. While on the phone to his control centre regarding a separate issue, he was told: “Someone has just gone nuts with a gun at Bondi and we don’t have time for this.”
His superintendent then sent a text message telling him there was an ongoing significant incident involving stabbings and there was “sketchy” information.
SOT1 told the Lidcombe coroner’s court he should have been told about the incident by the control room team sooner, given he was the duty officer for the specialist team.
“I can only make some assumptions … they were overwhelmed and that was an oversight at that time due to the level of information they were receiving,” he told Lester Fernandez SC, the lawyer for the family of security guard Tahir.
Fernandez then asked: “That’s their very role isn’t it, to be making contact with people such as you?”
SOT resources had already been allocated to the incident, the court heard, but the lag in passing the details on to SOT1 meant that accessing specialist ballistic PPE – needed when SOT teams entered a zone with a potential active armed offender – was delayed.
One SOT at Bondi Junction requested to use police ballistic PPE instead. That request had to be escalated upwards twice before the paramedic was permitted to use the police gear.
Since September 2023, the SOT ballistic gear had been kept in an undisclosed central location, rather than at each officer’s station. Some SOT paramedics travelled from as far as Penrith and the Central Coast to Bondi Junction.
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SOT1 said on Thursday: “We need the equipment to be available at a location that is convenient.”
He said a lack of personnel meant the police’s tactical operations unit did not have special operations team paramedics rostered to it on the day of the stabbings.
The duty officer said good weather that day meant that the roster was constructed with the expectation that there could be significant activity in the Blue Mountains and near the ocean.
He said rostering decisions would have been easier with a “full complement” of SOTs and “more” specialised paramedics would be beneficial.
The court heard the delay in accessing ballistic PPE and the rostering issues did not have a clinical impact on 13 April 2024.
Read moreSOT1 commended the specialist paramedics on duty that day and said Scott and two French civilians who helped her stood out in their efforts to stop Cauchi
“Those actions are simply remarkable,” he told the inquest that is scheduled to run for five weeks
the manager of NSW police’s terrorism protection unit
told the court on Thursday that it was difficult to prepare for active armed offenders with a “high level of intent and even a moderate level of capability”
The national security messaging of “escape
tell” in such situations needed to be promoted
“This should be a message that is as common to our young people as ‘Get down low and go
An earlier version incorrectly stated that witness “SOT1” gave evidence about trained special operations team paramedics to Peggy Dwyer SC; in fact this evidence was given to Emma Sullivan
tells Sydney inquest she was trained to ‘stop the killing
The police officer who shot and killed Joel Cauchi minutes after he had stabbed 16 people in a Sydney shopping centre was “on her own” and believed she was going to be killed, a court has been told.
Six people were killed by 40-year-old Cauchi, who was schizophrenic, at Bondi Junction’s Westfield shopping centre on 13 April 2024.
The first call to the police after the attack began was at 3.34pm, the coronial inquest into the mass stabbing heard on Tuesday – day two of the scheduled five-week inquest.
Insp Amy Scott was the first officer to respond. The call came over her police car radio at 3.35pm. “I remember the radio operator saying, ‘We’re getting multiple calls, multiple stabbings, multiple locations at Bondi Junction Westfield.’ I knew right then that it was very real.”
Read moreQuestioned by senior counsel assisting the inquest Peggy Dwyer SC
Scott said when she arrived at the Westfield
her initial plan was to execute a “dynamic entry”
with other officers entering the centre at multiple points
But the number of people flooding out of the shopping centre forced her to change plan
She told Lidcombe coroner’s court she then knew she was dealing with an active armed offender
Scott entered the centre at 3.37pm. Two civilians, Silas Despreaux and Damien Guerot – dubbed “bollard man” after confronting Cauchi on an escalator – directed her
one of them tapped her on the back and said: “You’re on your own [without other police]
Scott found Cauchi holding a large military knife
but not wanting to shout within earshot of Cauchi
she directed a woman with a pram – who was hiding behind a large plant pot – to run
she told the court: “He was going to kill me
I knew my first shot had hit him … but he continued to come towards me.”
She “backed up” as Cauchi continued to move towards her
then fired two further shots and Cauchi fell to the ground 6.5m away
Five minutes and 43 seconds had passed since the attack began
Just over a minute passed between Scott’s arrival and the shots being fired
View image in fullscreenSix people died at Bondi Junction in April 2024
Photograph: Steven Saphore/EPAScott told the court she reholstered her weapon and went to Cauchi
but she was unsure whether she had incapacitated him
“I knew I had to bite the bullet and make sure that weapon was secure,” she said
she flicked the knife away and put him in the recovery position before rendering aid
that’s the guy.” She said waiting with Cauchi while she checked his pulse “felt like a year”
One bullet had missed Cauchi and hit the pot plant behind which the mother had been hiding
Scott was not carrying a Taser and said it would “absolutely not” have been the correct option in the circumstances
Scott said she felt nauseous as she ran into the shopping centre “because
I had resigned myself to the fact that I was probably going to die”
officers were told they had a 60-70% chance of non-survival
“and that is if you are partnered up and vested up
and I was neither of those,” she told the court
The inspector said that in her 2016 training she had dealt with circumstances that forced officers to shift away from a “contain
Scott said she was trained to “stop the killing
she praised the courage and bravery of fellow police officers who attended that day
staff and bystanders in the shopping centre had saved lives and put themselves at risk despite being fearful
French nationals Despreaux and Guerot also gave evidence on Tuesday
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entered the Westfield together at 3pm on 13 April
The friends saw people running down an escalator and heard a man say: “There’s a man stabbing people.”
let’s go catch him,” Despreaux told Guerot
Despreaux said on Tuesday that when looking down from the floor above
they grabbed a heavy bollard from a clothing store
Guerot said he watched Cauchi run past a woman and then turn back and stab her
the two men “screamed” at a woman on the escalator to move away
Despreaux said: “I knew I needed to stop him even if it meant hurting him.”
Guerot said he did not expect Cauchi to get past him
Cauchi entered the Westfield shopping centre shortly after 3.30pm
he removed the knife from his backpack and fatally stabbed Dawn Singleton
In a directions hearing before the inquest
the court heard that the mother turned and saw him near her nine-month-old baby
She received another stab wound when she intervened to “undoubtedly” save the life of her infant
Cauchi immediately continued his attack, killing security guard Faraz Tahir
the court heard that the first interagency briefing after the incident took place at 5.30pm – and that Scott Wilson
responded that the incident’s scope was “vast” and included “challenges or pivots”
“It’s not to suggest there was a delay in actions being undertaken,” he said
Whalley said the volume of the emergency alarm – which Scott criticised for hampering communications – “had an impact” on phone calls and radio messaging
“but I don’t believe that it had any lasting effect on the response”
He told the court that after leaving the incident command post set up immediately after the attack
past about 25 police officers from Maroubra police station
When he asked why several were standing close to one of the deceased victims
one officer told him: “Because I don’t want to leave them alone.”
“It was an incident I’ll not forget,” an emotional Whalley told the court
Whalley said mental health incidents formed an increasing part of police work
“I think there are opportunities to improve outcomes for people [with mental health issues] and those outcomes might not involve police,” he told the state coroner
Coronial inquest into 2024 incident also told killer had ‘preoccupation with death and murder’ before fatally stabbing six people
The man who fatally stabbed six people in a Sydney shopping centre last April had a “preoccupation with death and murder” and made online searches for serial killers and the Columbine school shooters in the days before his attack
It also heard that at the moment the attack began
the sole CCTV security room operator had been using the bathroom and re-entered the CCTV room less than two minutes later
towards the end of the man’s stabbing rampage
On the first day of the five-week coronial inquest into the incident
senior counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC said police had reviewed Cauchi’s phone and web browsing records
which were “distressing” and demonstrated Cauchi was a person who was “extremely unwell” and preoccupied with mass killing and violence
was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager and had been sleeping rough on Maroubra beach on the morning of the attack
He had been using cannabis in the days before the attack
which would have likely exacerbated his psychotic symptoms
The court heard that in late 2023 - at around the time he was assessed by a psychiatrist during a single care episode - Cauchi searched online for “what neuroscience can tell us about the mind of a serial killer”
“12 common traits of a serial killer” and “famous serial killers”
he researched the type of military knife he eventually used in the attack
and in April 2024 he searched for “14 bands that serial killers loved”
the police officer in charge of the investigation
Cauchi used Reddit to look up the Columbine high school shooting
including to gauge users’ opinions of the attackers
Dwyer told the New South Wales state coroner, Teresa O’Sullivan, Cauchi may have done “rudimentary planning” before the Bondi Junction stabbings
with notes on his phone from January and February 2024 suggesting he was planning an attack
But apart from providing an “insight into [Cauchi’s] inner turmoil and dark thoughts”
there was no direct evidence indicating a motive for the attack
Marks said there was no evidence women were his target
he moved very quickly and he appeared to attack people who were not ready
who didn’t know what was happening,” Marks said
“I just believe that whoever was in his way ..
The court heard Cauchi’s schizophrenia was appropriately managed from the age of 17 to about 36
but by the time of the attack he had been unmedicated for five years
he appeared to have sought a gun licence and had obtained a “statement of eligibility” to join a pistol club
Evidence shows “he did not follow through with a gun licence and that is very
She said the inquest did not seek to stigmatise those living with schizophrenia
but that it was “an unavoidable fact” that a small number of homicides were committed by people with psychiatric illnesses
Cauchi’s parents – who had in 2023 communicated with police about their concern about their son’s collection of hunting knives – contacted the police after seeing him on news reports on the evening of the attack
Dwyer said the level of Westfield shopping centre’s preparedness for an active armed offender would be central to the proceedings
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but it wasn’t until 3.52pm that an emergency announcement to the public and staff within Westfield was made
When the operator read an evacuation warning over the Tannoy system
she sounded so “distressed and distraught” that some people thought she had been taken hostage and was making the announcement under duress
The security room operators did not contact emergency services until after members of the public had called 000
“Security staff were effectively behind the eight ball
that is they were effectively playing catch-up,” Dwyer said
some form of leadership vacuum in the first hour” had hampered management of the emergency response
Had Scott not been on the scene so quickly
“there’s a real possibility that Mr Cauchi’s attacks may have continued”
Scott – who was the first officer on the scene – fired three rounds
with two hitting Cauchi and a third hitting a pot plant behind him
Marks said she had the presence of mind to direct two women with prams who were behind Cauchi to get out of the way
They had been close to the pot plant that was hit by a bullet
Scott is expected to appear in court on Tuesday. In a directions hearing in November
a court heard her actions “clearly saved lives”
Other witnesses in the first week include civilians Silas Despreaux and Damien Guerot – dubbed “bollard man” after confronting Cauchi on an escalator; police Chief Insp Christopher Whalley; paramedic Christopher Wilkinson; ambulance commander
assistant commissioner Brent Armitage; and a special operations team paramedic
The court heard the brief of evidence was “enormous”
with 40 witnesses giving evidence about 17 discrete issues
mentally ill man was not targeting people but stabbing anyone in his way in a mass stabbing at a busy shopping mall
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New CCTV footage shows the moment hero police officer Amy Scott drew her gun on killer Joel Cauchi amid a stabbing frenzy at Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre
Inspector Scott was at the centre when Cauchi’s killing spree began on April 13
He claimed the lives of six people — Dawn Singleton
Jade Young and Pikria Darchia — with another 10 injured during the attack
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Get the NewsletterBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Inspector Scott shot Cauchi dead during the incident and is credited with saving multiple lives as a result
released on Thursday as part of a five-week inquest into the massacre
shows the police officer chasing the killer inside the shopping centre before drawing her weapon and pointing it at him
It’s the first time footage of Inspector Scott responding to the emergency has been released
In the CCTV footage an employee at one of the shops can be seen standing near the door to the shop as Cauchi ran from Inspector Scott
Cauchi appeared to very briefly hesitate in front of the employee before continuing to run
with French construction workers Silas Despreaux and Damien Guerot — dubbed the “bollard men” behind her armed with a chair and trolley
The employee can then be seen retreating back into the store and locking the doors
Inspector Scott appears to be telling people to stand behind her before she retreats and pulls out her gun
with Cauchi coming into view running at her
some shoppers reached for their smartphones and hit “record” — something a high-ranking anti-terrorism police officer hopes to never see again
Chief Inspector Colin Green on Thursday said the public did not know how to react to an armed offender in a crowded space
Tell” — recommending getting away from the threat or finding a place to hide before calling the police — should be as ingrained as fire safety mottos
“This should be a message that is as common to our younger generation as ‘Get down low and go
a NSW Police Terrorism Protection Unit member
warned against filming unfolding terror events on phones as many people did during the April 13 attacks
Footage has captured the moment a shopping centre employee was faced with Joel Cauchi just moments before the Bondi attack killer was shot
Credit: SuppliedChaos felt by shoppers also flowed through to emergency services
with the inquest told the man in charge of the state’s specially trained paramedics was only alerted “by accident”
was in charge of the NSW Ambulance Special Operations Teams containing paramedics experienced in giving medical aid in high-risk situations
While NSW Ambulance was told within two minutes of the attack that started at 3.32pm
the specialist paramedics manager only found out when he called the control centre about an unrelated matter about 3.46pm
“I became aware of the incident kind of by accident,” he told the inquest
He was told that the centre did not have time to deal with his matter as “someone (had) just gone nuts with a gun at Bondi”
While special operations paramedics had been deployed to the shopping centre at the time
he agreed he had been left “troubled” by not being contacted about the serious incident
Someone could have been sent to pick up ballistic helmets and vests from a central repository and get them to the team on the ground faster
paramedics at the mall had to wait 16 minutes to get clearance from NSW Police to use the personal protective equipment located there
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But some shoppers reached for their smartphones and hit "record" — something a high-ranking anti-terrorism police officer hopes to never see again.
Chief Inspector Colin Green today said the public did not know how to react to an armed offender in a crowded space.
The slogan "Escape, Hide, Tell" — recommending getting away from the threat or finding a place to hide before calling the police — should be as ingrained as fire safety mottos, he said.
"This should be a message that is as common to our younger generation as 'Get down low and go, go, go'," he told the NSW Coroners Court.
The court is examining the circumstances surrounding the Bondi Junction mass stabbing in Sydney that claimed the lives of five women and a male security guard in April 2024.
Their killer, Joel Cauchi, was experiencing psychotic symptoms when he armed himself with a 30cm knife and launched the indiscriminate Saturday afternoon attacks.
Chief Insp Green, a NSW Police Terrorism Protection Unit member, warned against filming unfolding terror events on phones as many people did during the April 13 attacks.
One of the clips showed French nationals Silas Despreaux and Damien Guerot at the top of an escalator armed with bollards trying to stop Cauchi.
"It's about saving lives, it's about preventing injury and death," Green said.
Chaos felt by shoppers also flowed through to emergency services, with the inquest told the man in charge of the state's specially trained paramedics was only alerted "by accident".
The duty officer that day, who cannot be legally named, was in charge of the NSW Ambulance Special Operations Teams containing paramedics experienced in giving medical aid in high-risk situations.
While NSW Ambulance was told within two minutes of the attack that started at 3.32pm, the specialist paramedics manager only found out when he called the control centre about an unrelated matter about 3.46pm.
"I became aware of the incident kind of by accident," he told the inquest.
He was told that the centre did not have time to deal with his matter as "someone [had] just gone nuts with a gun at Bondi".
While special operations paramedics had been deployed to the shopping centre at the time, it could have been done more efficiently, he told the court.
Under questioning, he agreed he had been left "troubled" by not being contacted about the serious incident.
Someone could have been sent to pick up ballistic helmets and vests from a central repository and get them to the team on the ground faster, the officer told the court.
Instead, paramedics at the mall had to wait 16 minutes to get clearance from NSW Police to use the personal protective equipment located there, he said.
Rostering shortfalls and heightened risk of beach incidents because of good weather also resulted in no special operations paramedics being embedded with the NSW Police Tactical Operations Unit on the day of the attack.
Cauchi stabbed 16 people within five minutes in the shopping centre before being shot dead by police Inspector Amy Scott.
Dawn Singleton, 25; Faraz Tahir, 30; Ashlee Good, 38; Jade Young, 47; Pikria Darchia, 55; and Yixuan Cheng, 27, were killed.
He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager and was successfully treated until 2019 when he stopped his medication, the inquest was previously told.
Tributes left at Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre. (Source: Getty)
As a knife-wielding psychotic killer stalked his way through a busy shopping centre, most people fled.
Flowers are seen at an entrance to Westfield Bondi Junction (Source: Getty)
Bondi Junction stabber was 'preoccupied with death' before rampageJoel Cauchi searched online about serial killers and mass killings
including the Columbine High School shooting in 1999
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As a knife-wielding psychotic killer stalked his way through a busy shopping centre
But some shoppers reached for their smartphones and hit "record" — something a high-ranking anti-terrorism police officer hopes to never see again
Chief Inspector Colin Green today said the public did not know how to react to an armed offender in a crowded space
Tell" — recommending getting away from the threat or finding a place to hide before calling the police — should be as ingrained as fire safety mottos
"This should be a message that is as common to our younger generation as 'Get down low and go
go'," he told the NSW Coroners Court
The court is examining the circumstances surrounding the Bondi Junction mass stabbing in Sydney that claimed the lives of five women and a male security guard in April 2024
was experiencing psychotic symptoms when he armed himself with a 30cm knife and launched the indiscriminate Saturday afternoon attacks
One of the clips showed French nationals Silas Despreaux and Damien Guerot at the top of an escalator armed with bollards trying to stop Cauchi
it's about preventing injury and death," Green said
Chaos felt by shoppers also flowed through to emergency services
with the inquest told the man in charge of the state's specially trained paramedics was only alerted "by accident"
"I became aware of the incident kind of by accident," he told the inquest
He was told that the centre did not have time to deal with his matter as "someone [had] just gone nuts with a gun at Bondi"
he agreed he had been left "troubled" by not being contacted about the serious incident
Rostering shortfalls and heightened risk of beach incidents because of good weather also resulted in no special operations paramedics being embedded with the NSW Police Tactical Operations Unit on the day of the attack
Cauchi stabbed 16 people within five minutes in the shopping centre before being shot dead by police Inspector Amy Scott
He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager and was successfully treated until 2019 when he stopped his medication
Before he murdered six people in a busy metro shopping centre during a psychotic episode
Joel Cauchi had fallen through the cracks of the mental health system when he armed himself with a knife and rampaged through Sydney's Bondi Junction Westfield on April 13
were injured before the 40-year-old was shot dead by police
As an inquest into the tragic events began on Monday
counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC said Cauchi had not been treated for five years before the mass killing
despite being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen
Dwyer called the 40-year-old's web browsing history before the attack "distressing"
"Mr Cauchi was preoccupied with weapons
with violence and with mass killing," she told the NSW Coroners Court
This interest in death and murder included searches for serial killers and mass killings
Notes on his phone included references to planning a strike at a mall while armed with a knife
The searches showed a man who was seriously unwell and who was far from his parents in Queensland
who had previously kept a rein on their son's behaviour
Expert psychiatric evidence would show that Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" when walking through the Westfield mall
coroner Teresa O'Sullivan would examine Cauchi's background
including how police interacted with him during his largely transient lifestyle
She would also look for any potential missteps in his mental health treatment after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia
The response to the tragedy by security guards and the media would also be probed
O'Sullivan would then make findings at a later date about what happened and could suggest recommendations aimed at preventing similar events
A memorial established at Bondi Junction ahead of the mass killings' anniversary earlier in April contained photographs and floral tributes to those who had died
"It never leaves you," he recalls of his witnessing the aftermath of the stabbing spree at Sydney's Bondi Junction shopping centre in which seven people were killed and 12 others injured including a nine-month-old girl
it's like it was yesterday," he tells AAP
Mohana went to work at Hair Royale salon in the Westfield complex on April 13
he was forever changed by the fear of uncertainty and then sheer violence that unfolded as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi stalked through the floors of the centre with a 30-centimetre knife
Not knowing what was going on amid the chaos and screams
Mohana turned off the music and lights in his shop
shut the door and told his staff to hide in a back room
terrifying – honestly it was like a near death experience," he says
"You're just pretty much waiting to die."
Mohana is one of many now looking for answers from an inquest into the mass stabbing due to begin tomorrow
Hearings before Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan at Lidcombe are expected to run for five weeks
She will hear evidence from experts and eyewitnesses examining myriad issues including Cauchi's background
and his communication with NSW and Queensland police
The 40-year-old lived a largely transient life until he was shot and killed
He stopped receiving treatment for schizophrenia in early 2020 and moved from Queensland to Sydney's east in December 2023
O'Sullivan will examine how security guards employed at Bondi Junction Westfield and the media both responded as the tragedy unfolded
Psychiatrist and forensic mental health expert Lee Knight says families of the victim and those there on the day will have experienced untold trauma
"They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he says
"That's really senseless and it's really difficult to make sense of."
The psychological effects went well beyond those who were there
and could also impact those with panic disorders or anxiety who were already afraid of going out in public
saying it is important to find out what potentially went wrong to prevent similar tragedies in future
the media has to take steps to remain sensitive to victims and their families while not stigmatising mental illness
The hope is that the inquest's findings will help an under-resourced mental health industry prevent people like Cauchi falling through the cracks
The media's reporting has already been thrown into the spotlight
with Ms Singleton's fiance Ashley Wildey suing Channel Nine in the NSW Supreme Court
He claims Nine's 60 Minutes programme and sister outlet the Sydney Morning Herald breached copyright with images of the 25-year-old
Wildey's barrister Sue Chysanthou SC called the situation "extremely distressing"
The mass killing also amplified wider safety concerns for those working in the security industry
according to Nicholas Richard of the United Workers Union
He hopes the inquest will scrutinise how sub-contracting impacted the safety of security guards
the level of training supplied and whether guards were taught how to properly use protective equipment on the job
"Clients and companies in the security industry need to understand the issues facing security workers and make fundamental changes to keep workers and the public safer," he says
a memorial was established at Bondi Junction with displays of photographs and messages on floral tributes laid after the mass homicide
A brazen serial groper who preyed upon 18 women in an Australian nightclub has avoided jail time after a judge found his risk of reoffending was low
was facing up to 10 years in prison but was instead sentenced to a two-year community corrections order on Monday
He dodged reporters' questions as he left the Victorian County Court
The former PwC IT worker pleaded guilty to 17 charges of sexual assault and one count of attempted sexual assault over the attacks at Revolver Upstairs in Melbourne's inner east
CCTV footage from the nightclub showed Rayan groping his victims on the buttocks
stroking their backs and kissing them on the arms and shoulders
The attacks happened on three separate occasions in September and October 2023
Rayan admitted to police he touched one of the women accidentally but claimed he could not remember the other incidents because he was too drunk
Victorian County Court Judge Peter Rozen said he held reservations about those claims as he sentenced Rayan over the "brazen" attacks
"Your offending was deliberate and you knew what you were doing," he said
Judge Rozen said the women were entitled to feel safe in the nightclub and the scale of Rayan's crimes was concerning
He noted that three victim impact statements were read to the court
where the women described their ongoing anxiety and shattered sense of security
Judge Rozen also decided Rayan's moral culpability was considerable and said the 34-year-old lacked insight into his offending
But the judge accepted the sexual assaults were at the lower end of seriousness
given Rayan's victims were adults and the attacks were fleeting
no pending charges and no diagnosed mental health conditions
"I accept this offending was out of character for you," the judge said
Rayan was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order with 180 hours of unpaid community work
He will also have to complete treatment for alcohol abuse and programs to reduce his risk of reoffending
A leading Australian pollster says the coalition will be forced to carry out a "fundamental reorganisation" of its party structure to ensure ongoing relevance to voters after facing a wipeout in Saturday's election
As votes continue to be counted after Saturday's poll
figures show the coalition could slump to its lowest percentage of seats in parliament since the formation of the Liberal Party in the 1940s
the Australian Labor Party has claimed 86 seats in the House of Representatives compared to the coalition's 39
While Anthony Albanese has claimed an expanded mandate as PM with a larger majority in his second term
questions are being raised as to where the coalition will go
But it could be some time before a new leader is appointed by the Liberals
Deputy leader Sussan Ley said the party room would meet to elect an opposition leader and deputy
After consulting with the party's senior leadership
Ley said several seats where preferential counting was continuing would have to be decided before the meeting could take place
She said her party was reflecting on the results with humility
YouGov director of public data Paul Smith said the election was a referendum on the leadership of Peter Dutton
"The Liberal Party result was devastating and requires a fundamental reorganisation of who they are ..
they are not representative of Australians," he told AAP
"This is a situation where if they were a company
you would call in the administrators and look for a new business owner
After the opposition leader lost his seat of Dickson in Labor's biggest scalp of the election
a vacuum has emerged for the leadership of the coalition
Frontrunners include shadow treasurer Angus Taylor
along with opposition frontbenchers Dan Tehan and Andrew Hastie
Smith said the loss by the coalition was a "self-inflicted defeat"
"Their strategy was to win working-class votes in Sydney and Melbourne
but the problem was their strategy was at odds with their policies," he said
"They now hold no seats in Perth or Adelaide and hardly any in Sydney or Melbourne
Albanese has aimed for a tone of humility in his landslide win
thanking supporters in his inner-western Sydney seat of Grayndler
before pledging to get back to the job at hand
just like we have been in our first," he said
"We've been given a great honour of serving the Australian people
and we'll work hard each and every day."
Federal Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has been praised for being "very brave" after revealing he will undergo surgery for prostate cancer
The one-time Australian deputy prime minister
who comfortably won his regional NSW seat of New England in Saturday's election
received the diagnosis following a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test
The test came back with an elevated result and a subsequent MRI and biopsy revealed he had prostate cancer
told Seven's Sunrise program he kept his diagnosis quiet until after the election
"I waited until obviously after the election — I didn't want a big circus going on," he said
straight down the road and straight into surgery."
before noting that was normal with a disease like prostate cancer
you go to the toilet a bit more than you should," he added
Federal Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek praised Joyce for going public with his diagnosis
"It's very brave of Barnaby to share his experience," she told Seven
"I really do think that having high-profile people like Barnaby talk about their health challenges is really important to encourage other men to get the test."
Plibersek noted that Labor Party national president Wayne Swan
was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 48
"Wayne had surgery decades ago and his health is terrific," she said
Prostate cancer was generally very treatable if caught early
Labor had a landslide victory at the election
reducing the coalition to one of their worst performances at the polls
after Liberal Leader Peter Dutton lost his own seat
With an expanded majority and an increased mandate
Labor's Anthony Albanese has pledged to hit the ground running in his second term after a decisive election win
The Australian Labor Party stormed home to victory in a landslide
winning a swathe of seats across multiple states and unseating opposition leader Peter Dutton in his own electorate in the process
Expanding on its majority in the House of Representatives
while the coalition picked up 40 as its primary vote plunged to almost historic lows
Albanese said there was no time to waste in achieving a second-term agenda
new confidence and new determination," he told the Labor Party faithful in Sydney on Saturday
with no one held back and no one left behind."
Labor recorded large swings across Queensland
making significant gains in former coalition heartland
Australians have chosen optimism and determination
Australians have chosen to face global challenges," Albanese said
"Australians have voted for a future that holds true to these values
a future built on everything that brings us together."
Among the biggest victories was Labor's Ali France defeating opposition leader Peter Dutton in his Brisbane-based electorate of Dickson
with Dutton being the first opposition leader to lose his electorate at a federal election
Dutton said the election was not the result the coalition was after and accepted full responsibility for the party's loss
"We didn't do well enough during this campaign
that much is obvious tonight," he told party supporters in Brisbane
"I've always wanted in public life for the best for our country and the best for every Australian
"It's an historic occasion for the Labor Party
Dutton also apologised to other coalition members who lost their seat on election night
who have lost their seats or their ambition and I'm sorry for that," he said
"We have an amazing party and we'll rebuild."
The coalition is on track to one of its lowest ever primary votes since the party was formed in the 1940s
Behind in the polls towards the end of 2024
Labor had defied the odds to expand its reach in parliament
conducting a campaign on the cost of living and expanding access to Medicare
The prime minister has become the first leader to win back-to-back elections since John Howard in 2004
Albanese made health a focal point during the election
frequently brandishing his Medicare card and pledging to expand access to bulk billing and urgent cares clinics
Opposition leader Peter Dutton was considered the frontrunner going into the election
but a lack of detail surrounding key policy costings and a voter association with the policies of US President Donald Trump caused his poll numbers to plummet
Dutton urged voters throughout the election to ask themselves if they were better off now compared to three years ago
but the public has opted for a second term of the status quo
The election was dominated by issues on the cost of living
following several interest rate rises and high inflation
with the prime minister also going on the attack of Dutton's record as health minister during the previous coalition government
Despite being ahead throughout the campaign
Albanese still sought to play the underdog card
with Labor still scarred by its 2019 election loss which polls predicted it would win easily
Labor has exorcised its demons of the electoral past and will look to implement its second-term agenda
Albanese promised he would work hard for all Australians
"We do not need to beg or borrow or copy from anywhere else
in our values and in our people," he said
"We renew the great responsibility and the opportunity of government and with pride and purpose
with faith in the fair go and faith in each other."
Disbelief and elation rippled through a sea of red as Labor supporters welcomed their prime minister after an emphatic election win
An uproarious ovation shook Sydney's inner-west when Anthony Albanese took to the stage for his victory speech on Saturday night
"This is a time of profound opportunity for our nation," he said
"We have everything we need to seize this opportunity and make it our own."
barely two hours into the east coast vote count
Most supporters could not believe their eyes with shouts of "this is crazy" and "this is wild" spreading through the crowd at the Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL
who has been part of Albanese's Labor branch for two decades
the victory pave the way open the doors for a new era
"This is like a fairytale," he told AAP
A particularly pointed sense of schadenfreude was reserved for opposition leader Peter Dutton
who became the third federal party leader in Australian history to lose his seat
Jeers coursed through the room as Dutton appeared on screen to give his concession speech
And when some supporters tried to boo his name during Albanese's victory speech
Dutton's Labor replacement Ali France was an inspiration to 53-year-old nurse Sabrina Sharp
"This is the best day of my life," she told AAP
With pollsters tipping in Labor's favour
many supporters went into the evening with a cautious sense of optimism
the mood and the seats shifted slowly and then all at once
"This is the most overstimulated I've felt my entire life," the 17-year-old told AAP
The prime minister watched the results roll in from Kirribilli House with his partner Jodie Haydon and son Nathan
Peter Dutton has been booted out of parliament in a bloodbath for the coalition
becoming the first opposition leader to lose his seat in an Australian federal election
A large share of the 200-odd attendees in the room watched in stunned silence as results rolled in on the big screens
"It's not pretty," one Liberal staffer said
Arriving to a warm welcome at the W Hotel in Brisbane
Dutton was magnanimous in conceding defeat and accepted full responsibility
"Our liberal family is hurting across the country tonight," he said
Labor's Ali France was projected to win Dutton's former electorate of Dickson on a 6.1% margin following a 9.1% swing
a leg amputee who lost her son to leukaemia in 2024
was successful in her third attempt to unseat Dutton
"Her son Henry would be incredibly proud of her tonight
and she'll do a good job as a local member for Dixon," Dutton said
that much is obvious tonight," he told party supporters in Brisbane "I've always wanted in public life for the best for our country and the best for every Australian
Labor has picked up marginal seats such as Leichhardt in Queensland
Sturt in South Australia and Deakin in Victoria
But it could lose the formerly safe seat of Bean in the ACT to an independent
Liberal supporter Sharyn Merrin said Dutton's loss was devastating
She said she had been drawn to the party because of his efforts to stamp out domestic violence
"I don't know who they've got to replace Peter
I just can't get over him not going to be there," she said
but unfortunately for the wrong reasons."
the coalition had suffered a 2.4% two-party preferred swing and Labor was projected to be returned to government in an expanded majority
It was a mistake for Dutton to say he would be happy to host a nuclear reactor in his electorate
the coalition lost the battle on health and cost of living policy "and Peter Dutton trailed away as the campaign rolled on"
The coalition was behind in more than a dozen seats it held and was not on track to win any seats from the government
A lone bright spot for the Liberals was opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan
who looked to have seen off a challenge from independent Alex Dyson in his regional Victorian seat of Wannon
The Liberals were set for a wipeout in Tasmania with the loss of Bass and Braddon
and faced defeat in their last seat in metropolitan Adelaide
with Sturt MP James Stevens suffering an 8.1% swing against him
A large-scale Southland farming company has been fined $82,500 for discharging effluent in a manner which could have entered waterways
Gladvale Farms Ltd committed the offending on two occasions in October 2019 at an Oreti Plains farm
The company was sentenced on Monday after being found guilty in February following an August 2024 judge-alone trial
Legal action against the company began when Environment Southland alleged the Resource Management Act had been breached through effluent discharge on or into land which could have resulted in the contaminant entering water
It was alleged the defendant irrigated at night without monitoring due to employees being off duty
The judgement said although it was not necessary to prove the contaminant had entered or impacted the waterway
there was sufficient evidence to show it had
Steps taken to mitigate against the discharge were not sufficient
including using a digger to move effluent further into a paddock
Judge Steven told the court that 90 percent of the fine would go to the council
Gladvale Farms Ltd operates five dairy farms in Southland with 3700 cows across 3300 acres
Stuff has previously reported fines against the company of $27,000 in 2018/19
Police have appealed to the public after two aggravated robberies and a series of burglaries in Invercargill overnight
Detective Inspector Stu Harvey said officers were called to a premises on Dee St at around 2.30am on Monday to reports of two people entering a store demanding cash
A worker was assaulted but not seriously injured
Harvey said an attempted burglary and two burglaries were reported at three further premises on Windsor St
Police then received a report that two people had entered a Tay St premises and demanded cash and items
Harvey said information suggested the incidents were linked
"Two vehicles were seen in the vicinity of some of the incidents
"The other vehicle is described as a dark-coloured car," said Harvey
"We would like to speak to anyone who saw vehicles fitting these descriptions between 1am and 5am."
Anyone with relevant information about these vehicles or those involved should contact police on 105
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake has jolted the lower North Island this afternoon
Geonet said the earthquake struck 10km northwest of Levin at 5.16pm at a depth of 37km
It described the shaking as "light" with close to 2000 reports from people feeling the tremor by 5.45pm
M3.6 quake causing weak shaking near Levin https://t.co/aJM2e4ScOx
One Facebook poster said it was "definitely a good one" while another described it as "only little but strange"
Horowhenua District Council said it was a "good reminder" to chat about being prepared for earthquakes
The owners of Tipene Funerals have spoken out for the first time after a former long-time employee was jailed for misconduct in relation to burials
Francis and Kaiora Tipene told TVNZ's Marae they should have noticed something sooner
but said they knew nothing of former employee Fiona Bakulich's offending
For the full Marae story, watch on TVNZ+
Fiona Bakulich, 48, a former employee, was jailed for two years and three months and ordered to pay more than $16,900 in reparations over her misconduct
The Tipene owners spoke to Marae in their first interview since Bakulich was jailed
Francis said he was called to a meeting alongside Bakulich at Waikumete Cemetery by Auckland Council staff
Cyclone Gabrielle had badly damaged a mausoleum housing two coffins interred by Bakulich
Repairs to the roof necessitated the disinterment of the remains
revealing she had not installed the zinc liner required and pocketed the $3000 in cash instead
"I just couldn't believe how someone could do that."
Bakulich was stood down for six weeks and continued offending upon her return to work
The pair said they only discovered she had further defrauded families after her dismissal
and I wish we did so we could have acted sooner," Francis said
but I'm deeply apologetic to those whānau."
Asked how the charges weren't detected in the company's accounting
Francis said the transactions were taking place off-site
so that's a hard one to swallow."
The company would have to "build trust from the bottom up"
the pair said of their business' relationship with the community
Marae did not receive a response when Fiona Bakulich's lawyer was approached for comment
A large fire which caused "significant damage" to a McDonald's restaurant in east Auckland this afternoon is now being treated as suspicious
Emergency services were notified of the fire at around 3pm on Monday
Fire and Emergency NZ said the building was "totally involved" in flames by the time crews arrived
and Papatoetoe were in attendance at the blaze
"Everyone was out at the time and there are no reports of injuries."
FENZ said the fire was being treated as suspicious
"A fire investigator is attending to determine cause and origin."
Pakuranga Rd was closed for nearly two hours in both directions with road users advised to avoid the area
"Investigations into the cause of the fire at the McDonalds are underway," police said
told 1News he heard a couple of explosions coming from the restaurant as the blaze began
He said he heard "one or two" explosions
The restaurant was adjacent to a Z petrol station and 250 metres along the same road from Pakuranga College
A staff member at the service station said they had closed their fuel pumps and there was "huge fire and huge smoke" coming from the fire
The Howick Pakuranga Netball Centre Courts were also closed this evening due to the blaze
Auckland Transport said several bus routes
Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown thanked emergency services who had been responding to the incident
"Please follow the advice of emergency services
A McDonald's spokesperson said the McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga had "suffered significant damage" in the fire
"Procedures were followed to raise the alarm and safely evacuate staff and customers
McDonald’s is assisting emergency services as they begin the investigation into the cause of the fire."
President Donald Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz
the notorious former prison on a hard-to-reach California island off San Francisco that has been closed for more than 60 years
who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering
we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals
and keep them far away from anyone they could harm
to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ
to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders," he wrote
adding "The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law
Trump's directive to rebuild and reopen the long-shuttered penitentiary was the latest salvo in his effort to overhaul how and where federal prisoners and immigration detainees are locked up
But such a move would likely be an expensive and challenging proposition
The prison was closed in 1963 due to crumbling infrastructure and the high costs of repairing and supplying the island facility
because everything from fuel to food had to be transported by boat
Bringing the facility up to modern-day standards would require massive investments at a time when the Bureau of Prisons has been shuttering prisons for similar infrastructure issues
The prison — infamously inescapable due to the strong ocean currents and cold Pacific waters that surround it — was known as the The Rock and housed some of the nation's most notorious criminals
including gangster Al Capone and George 'Machine Gun' Kelly
It has long been part of the cultural imagination and the subject of numerous movies
including The Rock starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage
Nearly all were caught or didn't survive the attempt
The fate of three particular inmates — John Anglin
his brother Clarence and Frank Morris — is of some debate and was dramatised in the 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz starring Clinton Eastwood
Alcatraz Island is now a major tourist site that is operate by the National Park Service and is a designated National Historic Landmark
returning to the White House on Sunday night after a weekend in Florida
said he'd come up with the idea because of frustrations with "radicalised judges" who have insisted those being deported receive due process
has long been a "symbol of law and order
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons said in a statement that the agency "will comply with all Presidential Orders"
The spokesperson did not immediately answer questions from The Associated Press regarding the practicality and feasibility of reopening Alcatraz or the agency's role in the future of the former prison given the National Park Service's control of the island
a California Democrat whose district includes the island
questioned the feasibility of reopening the prison after so many years
"It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction
The President's proposal is not a serious one," she wrote on X
Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The President’s proposal is not a serious one. https://t.co/ALKXZLWlzO
The island serves as a veritable time machine to a bygone era of corrections
The Bureau of Prisons currently has 16 penitentiaries performing the same high-security functions as Alcatraz
including its maximum security facility in Florence
which is home to the federal death chamber
The order comes as Trump has been clashing with the courts as he tries to send accused gang members to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador
Trump has also floated the legally dubious idea of sending some federal US prisoners to the Terrorism Confinement Center
Trump has also directed the opening of a detention centre at Guantanamo Bay
to hold up to 30,000 of what he has labelled the "worst criminal aliens"
Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career
(...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd
kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary
Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand
Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show
switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag
Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot
“Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes
a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019
Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year
The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June
“It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars
generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima
the city’s secretary of economic development
in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month
Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy
Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028
Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday
The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since
as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012
Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video
A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out
While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio
the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors
More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show
according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport
Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday
made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show
“I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano
who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years
the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame”
Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach
Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year
while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994
that was the biggest free rock concert in history
sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach
Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers
Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017
when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues
“She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said
I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him
whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor
which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis
"100% written in blood," the website read
The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That
The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde)
It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album
Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama
she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl
so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat
Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris
tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery
10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery
abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2
Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23
"Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said
"She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities
"She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion
in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case."
In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show
Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her
In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show
she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped
Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box
and another is seriously ill and can't be tried
five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery
The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records
Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub
Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth
She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room
She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft
Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured
adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children
According to her testimony and that of the concierge
at least one of the suspects had a handgun
The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery
estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million)
Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered
Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime
is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment
his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian
who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station
The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment
said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area
He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian
but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime
Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision
he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian
is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat
although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement
The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment
Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp
Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper
the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden
the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status
and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award
pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award
who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends
a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions
who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets"
Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination
They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam
Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love
Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy
The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker
Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey
and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll
The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before
including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old
so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling."
Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots
have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop
The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army
Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction
The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall
Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists
historians and music industry professionals
The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians
the scope and longevity of their career and body of work
as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique"
Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted
Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing
It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power
which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length
Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week.
On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm".
Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer.
Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down.
"Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read.
"I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!!
"But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry."
However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde)
Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week
sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face
Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song
Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City
I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream
What was that?” she sings over a synth beat
It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album
Either the URL was mistyped or the page may no longer be available
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When Inspector Amy Scott clocked in for work on April 13
She had no idea it would be one that changed Sydney's history forever
Instead, Amy found herself running solo into Westfield Bondi Junction — straight into the chaos of one of the city's darkest days
It was the day a man named Joel Cauchi went on a stabbing rampage
Amy was the first police officer on the scene
"I actually felt nauseous as I ran in," she told the NSW Coroners Court this week
I resigned myself to the fact I was probably going to die."
Shoppers were streaming out of the complex
"People started saying to me … 'He's killing people
Amy assessed the situation as an "active armed offender" and made a split-second decision
"I knew I couldn't wait for my colleagues to arrive — I just had to go in."
As Amy reached the fifth floor of the shopping centre
she warned civilians nearby to get behind her
or somewhere safe — anywhere out of the way
she spotted a woman with a pram hiding behind a potplant
making sure that there were no civilians in her or Cauchi's path
Cauchi turned his attention toward the mum
But Amy screamed 'mate' to bring his attention back to her
Cauchi charged at her with a 30-centimetre knife
The one the mother had been hiding behind moments before Amy encouraged her to flee
When asked what went through her mind as she pulled the trigger
she said simply: "That he was going to kill me."
I knew my first shot had hit him … but he continued to come towards me," she said
drop it" and backed up as he moved towards her
Cauchi fell to the ground with the knife under him
but Amy could not be sure of his condition
"I knew I had to bite the bullet and make sure that weapon was secure," she said
put him in the recovery position and began first aid
Amy was emotional in the witness box as she praised the bravery of her fellow officers that day — and the toll the job can take
"We as a society think that police don't feel fear
don't feel the burdens and pressures of what everyday humans do
They were absolutely extraordinary and they saved lives on that day."
The victims of the Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing
She's also adamant she wasn't the only hero
Friends Silas Despreaux and Damien Guerot (aka the "bollard men") also gave evidence at the inquest
They were inside the centre when the attack began and decided they had to do something
even if it meant hurting him," Silas said in a police statement
When asked outside court why they followed Amy into danger
armed only with a plastic chair and a shopping cart
instead of waiting outside with everyone else
Silas had a simple answer: "She was alone."
a coroner is tasked with trying to make sense of it all
The inquest into the tragedy began this week
with the court hearing Cauchi did not appear to have any terrorist ideology
whoever had the tragic fate of crossing his path
Community members left tributes at a memorial outside the shopping centre
Cauchi's internet search history in the days prior was described as "distressing"
violence and mass killings in Australia and overseas including the Columbine High School shooting in 1999
Notes on his phone included references to an attack at a mall with a knife
with violence and with mass killing," lawyer Peggy Dwyer told the NSW Coroners Court
she added that Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" when walking through Bondi Westfield
The timing of the attack also revealed a heartbreaking gap: the stabbings began just 40 seconds after the shopping centre's only security guard briefly left the control room to go to the bathroom
it was the wrong one — a general evacuation
And communication between first responders was hindered by a blaring alarm that made it difficult to hear one another
They have also raised issues of communication between NSW Ambulance and police
The inquest heard that Westfield was declared a 'hot zone' with paramedics ordered to leave the centre and 'stand down'
at 4:27pm the court heard police believed there was only one armed offender
While this delay did not change outcomes in this case
"If there had been any severely injured individuals in need of urgent medical attention
any form of lockdown or restriction on access by first responders would obviously have the potential to compromise care and could've had a catastrophic consequence
The inquest also heard that Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager and was successfully treated for years
he had moved to Brisbane and stopped attending psychiatric sessions altogether
He was homeless when he entered Westfield for the final time
by Madeline Hislop | 6 days ago
the officer who shot dead Bondi Junction attacker Joel Cauchi
has publicly spoken about the moments before she pulled the trigger to end his deadly attack.
She is credited with potentially saving lives
Inspector Scott took to the witness box during a five-week coronial inquest into the devastating mass attack.
Scott recalled that she had been nearby in Bondi when she heard a scanner broadcast announcement about an incident at Bondi Junction Westfield
People were pouring out of the shopping centre as she approached
“People were saying ‘there’s a guy in there with a knife
please get in there’,” Scott recalled at the inquest on Tuesday
but another had hidden behind a large pot plant about 15 metres on the other side of Joel
I mouthed at her to ‘run’,” she said.
“For a second (Cauchi) turned as if he was going to go that way and at that point I yelled out ‘mate’ to get his attention back to me.”
Scott said she concluded the offender was active and armed
She raced inside to the fifth level of the shopping centre where Cauchi was located.
“I was conscious it was school holidays
a lot of people were in the mall at the time and I didn’t want to hurt anyone else,” she said
“As long as I’m chasing this guy
hopefully he’s not going to do any more damage.”
Inspector Scott said Cauchi sprinted toward her with a large knife out
“He was going to kill me,” Scott told the inquest.
with two hitting Cauchi and the other hitting a nearby pot plant
Asked if she felt fear as she ran into the shopping centre
Scott replied: “I actually felt nauseous as I ran in
because in my head I’d resigned myself to the fact that I was probably going to die.”
Inspector Scott recognised the bravery of other police officers and first responders who were on the scene that day
don’t feel the burden and pressures of what everyday humans do,” Scott said
“And whilst I was the person that faced Joel
those young officers ran [into Bondi Westfield] with the exact same intentions
restored some faith in humanity and the goodness of the people.”
there is continued discussion about the failures of the mental health system that led to Cauchi falling through the cracks
Cauchi was living with schizophrenia and had come off his medication about five years before the attack
the inquest heard that Cauchi had made online searches for serial killers in the days leading up to the attack
Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Marks also said that Cauchi had not launched the attack specifically targeting women
“He appeared to attack people who were not ready
that didn’t know what was happening,” he told the court
“I just believe that whoever was in his way — where he was running — was who he attacked.”
If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
Bondi Junction attackFirst respondersInspector Amy Scottpolice officers
by Madeline Hislop
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who shot dead Bondi Junction Westfield attacker Joel Cauchi
accepted she was “probably going to die” as she faced down the killer
and two French nationals who confronted Cauchi with bollards laid bare the lasting scars in emotional evidence to a coronial inquest one year after the massacre
arriving on Tuesday at the NSW Coroner’s Court in Lidcombe.Credit: Kate Geraghty
was armed with a Ka-Bar USMC military knife when he stabbed 16 people
in the crowded shopping centre on April 13
The attack lasted just over three minutes before Scott
heard an emergency call over the police radio
The inquest has also heard of Joel Cauchi’s troubled mental health history
at Bondi Junction Westfield,” the voice on the scanner broadcast just after 3.30pm
“I knew right then that it was very real,” Scott said
People were pouring out of the centre and flagged down Scott’s car
Two French nationals and a security guard were among the group begging the lone officer for help
They were Damien Guerot and Silas Despreaux
who had courageously stepped between Cauchi and a woman
metre-long bollards and threw them at Cauchi
trying to halt his advance up an escalator
even if it meant hurting him,” Despreaux later told police
French nationals Damien Guerot (left) and Silas Despreaux (right) address the media at the NSW Coroner’s Court.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Scott said she knew police facing such attackers have a 60 to 70 per cent chance of survival when accompanied by a partner
I resigned myself to the fact that I was probably going to die,” Scott said
The group raced to the fifth floor of the centre
where Scott instructed everyone to stay behind her
Cauchi had stopped on the air bridge on level five and was rocking on his feet
but another had hidden behind a large pot plant about 15 metres on the other side of Joel,” Scott told the inquest
Inspector Amy Scott was alone when she confronted the knife-wielding Joel Cauchi
Cauchi turned and looked towards the woman with the pram
“I yelled out ‘mate’ to get his attention back to me,” the inspector said
Cauchi sprinted towards the officer with the large knife out
CCTV showed Scott drawing her weapon and stepping back
I knew my first shot had hit him from the jolt of his body
Scott receiving the NSW Police Commissioner’s Valour Award.Credit: Kate Geraghty
the third hit the pot plant where the mother had been sheltering seconds earlier
Scott has been universally hailed as a hero for her actions and was recognised with the Commissioner’s Valour Award
she used her first moments in the witness box to reach out to the families of the dead and the survivors of the attack
Scott was resolute throughout her evidence except for one moment when her voice broke
those young officers ran [into Bondi Westfield] with the exact same intentions.”
took command of the scene at Bondi that afternoon
Damien Guerot on a Bondi Junction Westfield escalator facing off with the attacker
He asked a group of young police officers why they were standing in a strange location
before realising they were near one of the bodies
“Because I don’t want to leave them alone,” the officers replied
“It’s an incident I won’t forget,” Whalley said
The officer in charge of the investigation
said police officers who use lethal force experience “vicarious trauma”
“It is almost the case that 9/10 cases involve mentally ill people,” Marks said on Monday
The central theme of the inquest is shaping up to be failures of the mental health system to properly treat Cauchi
Cauchi had come off medication five years before the attack
His Queensland psychiatrist told Cauchi to “self-determine” whether he should take medication again
But Cauchi’s mother was found notes from her son expressing belief he was “under Satanic control”
Queensland police were called to the family home in Toowoomba after Cauchi’s father confiscated his son’s knives
but he does not know he is sick,” his mother told police
Scott told the inquest it would have been a useful opportunity for a mental health service to have accompanied police and intervened in Cauchi’s deterioration
“NSW Police are regularly called and required to respond to people in mental health crisis,” Scott said
are dealing with at least one job of that nature.”
the mental health co-ordinator for Sydney’s eastern suburbs
said his officers record up to 170 mental health crisis responses each month
Mental health is second only to domestic violence in occupying police resources
“The involvement of police generally is not helpful,” he said
“I think there’s an opportunity to improve outcomes for people
and those outcomes might not involve police.”
If you or anyone you know needs help, call SANE on 1800 187 263 (and see sane.org), Lifeline on 13 11 14 (and see lifeline.org.au) or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 (and see beyondblue.org.au)
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NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who shot dead Bondi Junction Westfield attacker Joel Cauchi, accepted she was \\u201Cprobably going to die\\u201D as she faced down the killer.
The heroic police officer, another senior police commander, and two French nationals who confronted Cauchi with bollards laid bare the lasting scars in emotional evidence to a coronial inquest one year after the massacre.
Cauchi, 40, was armed with a Ka-Bar USMC military knife when he stabbed 16 people, killing six, in the crowded shopping centre on April 13, 2024.
The attack lasted just over three minutes before Scott, who was near the centre for other duties, heard an emergency call over the police radio, the inquest heard on Tuesday.
\\u201CWe\\u2019re getting multiple calls, multiple stabbings, multiple locations, at Bondi Junction Westfield,\\u201D the voice on the scanner broadcast just after 3.30pm.
\\u201CI knew right then that it was very real,\\u201D Scott said.
People were pouring out of the centre and flagged down Scott\\u2019s car. Two French nationals and a security guard were among the group begging the lone officer for help.
They were Damien Guerot and Silas Despreaux, who had courageously stepped between Cauchi and a woman.
The Frenchmen were armed with heavy, metre-long bollards and threw them at Cauchi, trying to halt his advance up an escalator.
\\u201CI knew I needed to stop him, even if it meant hurting him,\\u201D Despreaux later told police.
Scott said she knew police facing such attackers have a 60 to 70 per cent chance of survival when accompanied by a partner, and wearing a protective vest. She had neither.
\\u201CI felt nauseous, I resigned myself to the fact that I was probably going to die,\\u201D Scott said.
The group raced to the fifth floor of the centre, where Scott instructed everyone to stay behind her, hand on her holstered pistol.
Cauchi had stopped on the air bridge on level five and was rocking on his feet.
\\u201CI saw a lady and a pram, two ladies and a pram, one had run away, but another had hidden behind a large pot plant about 15 metres on the other side of Joel,\\u201D Scott told the inquest.
\\u201CI mouthed at her to \\u2018run\\u2019.\\u201D
Cauchi turned and looked towards the woman with the pram.
\\u201CI yelled out \\u2018mate\\u2019 to get his attention back to me,\\u201D the inspector said.
Cauchi sprinted towards the officer with the large knife out.
\\u201CHe was going to kill me,\\u201D Scott said.
CCTV showed Scott drawing her weapon and stepping back. She fired her weapon once.
\\u201CIt\\u2019s a peculiar thing, it\\u2019s very fast, but in my mind it was very slow. I knew my first shot had hit him from the jolt of his body, but he continued to come towards me.\\u201D
She fired twice more. The second shot hit Cauchi, the third hit the pot plant where the mother had been sheltering seconds earlier.
Scott has been universally hailed as a hero for her actions and was recognised with the Commissioner\\u2019s Valour Award.
On Tuesday, she used her first moments in the witness box to reach out to the families of the dead and the survivors of the attack.
Scott was resolute throughout her evidence except for one moment when her voice broke.
\\u201CWe think that police don\\u2019t feel fear, don\\u2019t feel the burden and pressures of what everyday humans do,\\u201D Scott said.
\\u201CAnd whilst I was the person that faced Joel, those young officers ran [into Bondi Westfield] with the exact same intentions.\\u201D
\\u201CThat day, as tragic as it is, restored some faith in humanity and the goodness of the people.\\u201D
A second senior officer, Chief Inspector Chris Whalley, took command of the scene at Bondi that afternoon.
He asked a group of young police officers why they were standing in a strange location, before realising they were near one of the bodies.
\\u201CBecause I don\\u2019t want to leave them alone,\\u201D the officers replied.
\\u201CIt\\u2019s an incident I won\\u2019t forget,\\u201D Whalley said, in tears.
The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Marks, said police officers who use lethal force experience \\u201Cvicarious trauma\\u201D.
\\u201CIt is almost the case that 9/10 cases involve mentally ill people,\\u201D Marks said on Monday.
The central theme of the inquest is shaping up to be failures of the mental health system to properly treat Cauchi, who was living with schizophrenia.
Cauchi had come off medication five years before the attack.
His Queensland psychiatrist told Cauchi to \\u201Cself-determine\\u201D whether he should take medication again, and he decided not to.
But Cauchi\\u2019s mother was found notes from her son expressing belief he was \\u201Cunder Satanic control\\u201D.
In late 2023, Queensland police were called to the family home in Toowoomba after Cauchi\\u2019s father confiscated his son\\u2019s knives.
\\u201CHe really needs to see a doctor, but he does not know he is sick,\\u201D his mother told police.
Scott told the inquest it would have been a useful opportunity for to have accompanied police and intervened in Cauchi\\u2019s deterioration.
\\u201CNSW Police are regularly called and required to respond to people in mental health crisis,\\u201D Scott said.
\\u201CMy staff, every day, are dealing with at least one job of that nature.\\u201D
Whalley, the mental health co-ordinator for Sydney\\u2019s eastern suburbs, said his officers record up to 170 mental health crisis responses each month. Mental health is second only to domestic violence in occupying police resources.
\\u201CThe involvement of police generally is not helpful,\\u201D he said.
\\u201CI think there\\u2019s an opportunity to improve outcomes for people, and those outcomes might not involve police.\\u201D
If you or anyone you know needs help, call SANE on 1800 187 263 (and see ), Lifeline on 13 11 14 (and see ) or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 (and see ).
Start the day with a summary of the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. .
Listen 3m 56sNSW Police's Amy Scott on the opening day of the Coronial Inquest into the Bondi Function stabbing. (AAP: Steven Markham)
An inquest is currently underway over the mass stabbing spree at Westfield Bondi Junction on April 13
Joel Cauchi rampaged through the Eastern Suburbs shopping centre
armed with a 30-centimetre knife on an ordinary Saturday afternoon
a five-week-long inquest into the attack commenced in Sydney's west
critical care paramedic Christopher Wilkinson told the court paramedics were told to remain outside the shopping centre due to a "confused" conversation that suggested there was a second attacker
The discussion with a police officer led him to believe the centre had been declared a "hot zone"
which meant paramedics couldn't enter and provide life-saving assistance to injured people
Paramedics were prevented from entering the centre after a critically injured security guard
"I was left wondering whether there were any other patients like Mr Tahir," Mr Wilkinson said
Wilkinson and his colleagues performed emergency surgery on Tahir on the side of the road
Floral tributes during the re-opening of the Westfield Bondi Junction
Wilkinson told the court he was "quite frustrated that people may well be dying upstairs and no one is doing anything medically for them."
she asked the bystander to ring the ambulance," he said
"There's an expectation that an ambulance will arrive."
who has more than 40 years of experience as a paramedic and has been trained in dealing with mass-casualty events
said lives were lost when emergency services did not communicate effectively
adding that paramedics did the best they could in a difficult situation
it made me very proud to be a paramedic," Mr Wilkinson said
The declaration of a hot zone had no impact on the clinical outcome of any of the stabbing victims
Inspector Amy Scott detailed her 85 seconds inside the Westfield shopping centre as she tracked down Cauchi on April 13, 2024.
"I actually felt nauseous as I ran in," she told the NSW Coroners Court on Tuesday. "Because in my head, I resigned myself to the fact I was probably going to die."
As the first police officer on the scene, she found crowds of panicked shoppers streaming out of the complex in eastern Sydney, some imploring her to help.
"People started saying to me, 'He's killing people, you've got to help us,'" she said.
"It changed my response immediately… I just had to go in."
Finding Cauchi with the help of two tradies, later dubbed "the bollard men," Inspector Scott quietly told nearby civilians to get behind her or safely out of range of ricocheting bullets.
She then fired her pistol, 85 seconds after entering the centre and as Cauchi ran at her with his knife.
"What was going through your mind when you fired the first shot?" Peggy Dwyer SC asked.
"That he was going to kill me," Insp Scott replied.
The court was previously told Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen and had been successfully treated until 2019 when he stopped his medication.
Watch 3m 16sAhead of the one-year anniversary of the Bondi Junction stabbing attack, those who witnessed the event reflect on what they saw that day and its impact.
Court hears media should take ‘extreme care’ over stabbing case as businessman whose daughter
The families of six people murdered during a stabbing attack in a Bondi Junction shopping centre a year ago want a fast inquest into their deaths but do not speak with “one voice”
Read moreThe five-week inquest at the New South Wales state coroner’s court will address questions around Cauchi’s background, mental health conditions and treatment in Queensland
It will also examine the response of police and ambulance services
owned by Scentre Shopping CentreManagement
At the second directions hearing for the inquest
counsel assisting Dr Peggy Dwyer SC explained that the purpose of the inquest was not to apportion blame
but to learn lessons that might save lives
the inquest will also focus on the role of the media
including how the broadcast of graphic CCTV footage of the incident was particularly traumatising for families and witnesses
View image in fullscreenCounsel assisting Dr Peggy Dwyer SC arrives at a procedural hearing ahead of the inquest into the deadly Bondi Junction stabbing rampage Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAPDwyer also said that “families cannot be expected to speak with one voice” – that “not even all persons within the same family” can be expected to hold the same views.
The court heard the remarks the day after John Singleton, the father of Dawn Singleton, who was fatally stabbed while shopping for wedding makeup, publicly denounced the inquest.
The businessman told Nine’s 60 Minutes on Sunday it was “absolutely stupid” and “just a waste of time”.
“I’m worried about the family or loved ones of those people who were killed, and I don’t see why their privacy should be upset by an inquiry,” he said.
“He kills these people, he gets killed. End of story. What else do they want to find out?”
Singleton is not represented by Sue Chrysanthou SC, who is representing other members of the Singleton family, as well as the families of Good and Young.
“Their lives have been changed in a way that none of us can really comprehend,” Chrysanthou said.
She said the families she represents were “very adversely impacted” by some members of the media and “how they behaved in the minutes and hours and days after the tragedy occurred”.
“They continue to be impacted by a broadcast last night,” she said, adding that her clients asked for media reporting on the anniversary of the incident to take “extreme care” in their work.
Dwyer said it was important for the public to understand the inquest was mandatory, given six deaths were apparent homicides and one was a result of police actions.
“It was also the specific request of families that an inquest was held,” she said.
ShowOutlined at the inquest's initial hearing on 12 November 2024
3.31pm – Joel Cauchi walks over the level-four airbridge inside Westfield Bondi Junction.
3.32:57pm - Attack begins. Cauchi, who had been "fidgeting" in a queue outside the Sourdough Bakery, removes his knife from his backpack and fatally stabs Dawn Singleton.
3.33pm – Cauchi fatally stabs Jade Young near Sourdough Bakery.
3.33pm - Cauchi fatally stabs Yixuan Cheng near Cotton On and Peter Alexander.
3.34pm – Running back towards the bakery, Cauchi attacks Ashlee Good from behind. She attempts to block him from attacking her baby in her pram and receives another stab wound while "undoubtedly" saving her injured baby's life.3.34pm – Cauchi stabs security guards Faraz Tahir and Muhammed Taha. Tahir's injuries are fatal.
3.34pm – Cauchi fatally stabs Pikria Dachia.
3.34pm – Inspector Amy Scott responds to a police call regarding a stabbing and drives to Westfield.
3.35:40pm – Cauchi stabs his final victim, who survives. Attack ends.
3.37pm – CCTV footage shows Scott entering Westfield on level four.
3.38pm – Cauchi runs at Scott, who then gives chase. Four civilians run closely behind Scott ready to help.
3.38:47pm – Scott discharges her firearm three times, fatally wounding Cauchi in the neck and shoulder.
Thank you for your feedback.The court heard that no CCTV footage from the incident would be played in court during the inquest and that the proceedings would be trauma informed.
While a significant amount of footage is already in the public domain, Dwyer called on the media to be sensitive around how that footage was treated.
The court heard the brief of evidence for the inquest contained 47 volumes, not including expert evidence. There are 1,600 tabs on the brief of evidence.
Evidence includes reports from four psychiatrists from Australia and Denmark, two general practitioners from NSW and Queensland, emergency medicine specialists and a toxicologist.
A security expert from the UK, Scott Wilson, who has worked on mass casualty events including the Manchester bombings and Christchurch attacks, will also be called to the stand, as will an expert on mass casualty events, Dr Philip Cowburn.
Dwyer acknowledged the ongoing trauma of many witnesses and people who responded on the day, saying, “the healing will go on and on for ever”.
Speaking to bereaved families in court and online, the state coroner, magistrate Teresa O’Sullivan, said: “Our thoughts are very much with you in these coming days and particularly on the 13th.”
“As the anniversary of this tragic event approaches, the assisting team and I are aware that this is a particularly difficult time for you.”
Oral evidence will conclude on 30 May, with further submissions expected by 25 September.
Watch 1m 24sNSW Premier Chris Minns was among the officials who laid flowers at the one-year anniversary of the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing attack.
Of all the chilling moments during the first week of the inquest into the horrific stabbing attack at Westfield Bondi Junction a year ago
The NSW Coroners Court was shown a 3D reconstruction of the massacre
in parallel with CCTV footage of killer Joel Cauchi
hero policewoman Inspector Amy Scott and bystanders rushing through the shopping centre
The reconstruction ends as Cauchi approaches Scott from 6.5 metres away brandishing a large military knife
and the computer-generated image shows what she would have seen when she fired her fatal shots
The moment brought silence to the inquest as the horror of April 13
State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan has the unenviable job of examining the circumstances in which Cauchi
killed six people that Saturday afternoon just over a year ago
Those lost were new mother and osteopath Ashlee Good
27; and Westfield security guard Faraz Tahir
O’Sullivan struck the perfect tone on the opening day by offering heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed
saying there are “simply no words that can properly convey the magnitude of your loss”
The coroner commended the families for their “emotional fortitude and resilience” in participating in the inquest
We have heard already of Cauchi’s distressing online searches that showed a preoccupation with mass murder; of how Scott’s quick and courageous actions “saved the lives of many others”; of the bravery of bystanders; of how a security officer stepped out of the CCTV monitoring station 40 seconds before the attack; of the delays paramedics experienced in the chaos while trying to determine whether there was a second attacker
There are more difficult but important days to come
The inquest is not confined to examining the events of April 13 last year; another focus will be the gaps in the mental health system through with Cauchi fell
said in her opening address Cauchi had a long history of mental illness
was without adequate supervision for about five years before his death
There will be a focus on the treatment of chronic and severe mental health conditions
Dwyer also stressed that the court was not interested in singling out any particular individual who was “doing their best in a fallible system put to the test by Mr Cauchi’s acts of violence”
There are lessons to be learnt and processes to be improved in an attempt to mitigate the chances of such a tragedy from happening again
This is what makes the process so important
Bevan Shields sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week. Sign up to receive his Note from the Editor
State Coroner Teresa O\\u2019Sullivan has the unenviable job of examining the circumstances in which Cauchi
O\\u2019Sullivan struck the perfect tone on the opening day by offering heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed
saying there are \\u201Csimply no words that can properly convey the magnitude of your loss\\u201D
The coroner commended the families for their \\u201Cemotional fortitude and resilience\\u201D in participating in the inquest
We have heard already of Cauchi\\u2019s distressing online searches that showed a preoccupation with mass murder; of how Scott\\u2019s quick and courageous actions \\u201Csaved the lives of many others\\u201D; of the bravery of bystanders; of how a security officer stepped out of the CCTV monitoring station 40 seconds before the attack; of the delays paramedics experienced in the chaos while trying to determine whether there was a second attacker
Dwyer also stressed that the court was not interested in singling out any particular individual who was \\u201Cdoing their best in a fallible system put to the test by Mr Cauchi\\u2019s acts of violence\\u201D
Bevan Shields sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week
A coronial inquest into last year’s Bondi Junction stabbing is continuing in Sydney today
with the failures of the mental health system emerging as a central theme of the proceedings
Joel Cauchi, 40, stabbed 16 people with a Ka-Bar USMC military knife during an attack at Bondi Junction Westfield on April 13 2024
He was shot dead by Police Inspector Amy Scott only minutes after the attacks began
who was awarded with the Commissioner’s Valour Award for her efforts in preventing further killings
“I actually felt nauseous as I ran in
because in my head I’d resigned myself to the fact that I was probably going to die,” Scott told the inquiry on Tuesday morning
The inquiry has heard of Cauchi’s “preoccupation with death and murder”
with Counsel Assisting the Coroner Peggy Dwyer SC telling the inquest that police searches of his phone had unearthed evidence of “rudimentary planning” of the attack
“Mr Cauchi was preoccupied with weapons, with violence and with mass killing,” she said on Monday.
“There were bookmark pages on serial killers, searches containing mass stabbing incidents in Australia and searches in relation to serial killers.”
On the day of the attack, Cuchi had searched for information on the 1999 Columbine High School shooting.
The mental health system has been criticised for failing to support Cauchi, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, a condition that had worsened in recent years.
The 40-year-old had stopped his medication on the advice of his psychiatrists in Queensland about five years before the attack, and was told to “self determine” whether to take it again.
Queensland police were called to the Cauchi family’s Toowoomba house in late 2023, after his father confiscated his son’s knives. Police heard Cauchi had been experiencing night terrors and hallucinations, but were unsure whether they had the power to section him.
“It is important to learn from this catastrophic event, as I’ve already touched on, Mr Cauchi’s mental health treatment in Queensland is a very important topic,” Dr Dwyer said.
Cauchi had been experiencing homelessness in Sydney in 2024, away from the support of his parents and the mental health system.
Psychiatric evidence was “clear and unanimous that Mr Joel Cauchi was floridly psychotic” on the day of the attack.
“What these records unequivocally show is a man who was seriously unwell,” said Dr Dwyer.
The hearing is scheduled to run until May 30, and will hear oral evidence from 40 witnesses, including psychiatric experts rom overseas.
“Our ultimate hope … is to provide much-needed answers about how the tragic events of April 13, 2024 occurred and how such events can be prevented in the future,” Dr Dwyer said.
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A dilapidated terrace in Bondi Junction sells at auction $520,000 over reserve
where buyers were warned to “enter at their own risk” has sold for $2.72m
rocky floorboards and broken tiles didn’t deter the 16 bidders
hoping to breathe life back into the Birrell St home
Belle Property Bondi Junction principal and listing agent Edward Brown was surprised by the result
noting it sold for more than they expected
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how do you price a property like this given how much work it needs
you’ve got to start from scratch,” he said
Yet the “blank canvas,” of the rundown home was exactly what drove the interest
“There’s nothing in this home that people want to retain other then the front,” he said
“So then you’re not paying a premium for a house that you can move into straight away,” he said
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Proximity to Bondi Junction shopping centre
rear lane access and the potential to add a garage and studio was also appealing to buyers
Mr Brown said fully renovated terraces in the area could sell between $4m-$4.5m
had owned the home since 1979 and was present at the auction with his ex-wife Catherine Ritter in support
it’s even a bit higher then we hoped,” Ms Ritter said
He had moved to a flat nearby a few months earlier that was easier to maintain
Ms Ritter reported that the property had never been renovated and “had always been in a poor state of repairs
and I didn’t have the time to help him renovate,” she said
was a local carpenter who planned to flip and sell the home with his business partner who also attended the auction
“It’s always a good time (to flip and sell)” he said
adding the rate cut had “definitely changed my perspective as its easier to afford things now,” he said
Cooley’s Auctioneer Jake Moore calls the auction
He hoped to complete the renovation in about six months
Cooleys Auctioneer Jake Moore said the heated competition had fuelled the high result
“When you’re buying in a good location and you’ve got that many bidders
“When there’s 15 other people wanting it for that price as is
A Campbelltown home has fetched a whopping 39 registered bidders selling for $1.1m
The 50-year old rundown abode at 12 Reddall St was a deceased estate and appealed to young families
first home buyers as well as developers interested in the large block
It was well below the average condition of a home in the area
The property sold to a young family who had a young daughter that went to school in the area
They planned to renovate the home to live in
The opening bid started at $680,000 and took 20 minutes to reach the final result
Other bidders included a mix of developers
Crowd of around 80 people for the Reddall St auction
to a brother and sister duo buying their first home
the siblings came out with a strong opening bid of $1.65m
knocking out five of the seven registered bidders for the home at 56 Johnston Ave
McGrath St George’s Michael Lloyd said “the first bid blew (the others) out of the water.”
“We did not expect it to be that strong and that initial bid eliminated most of the other bidders,” he said
“They came with a plan and their dad was bidding for them
they had missed out on a few other properties and thought we aren’t going to miss out again.”
The home was at the end of a cul-de-sac and had a pool in the yard
saving up for a deposit to purchase together
“I’m really happy to see young buyers getting into the market.”
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