Lindt Cafe siege inquest: Police negotiator ‘let down’ by commanders

THE primary police negotiator trying to bring the Lindt Cafe siege to a peaceful end admitted today that he had felt let down by his commanders.

Marcia Mikhael is carried from the Lindt Cafe. Picture: Getty Images

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THE primary police negotiator trying to bring the Lindt Cafe siege to a peaceful end admitted today that he had felt let down by his commanders.

The senior sergeant codenamed Peter said he passed on up the line to his superiors a demand from the gunman Man Monis that Christmas lights in Martin Place be turned off - but heard nothing back from them.

Peter told the inquest into the deadly December 2014 siege today that he thought he could have used it as a bargaining tool in return for the release of hostages or as a way of keeping the situation calm.

The demand was made in a call at 8.38pm on December 15 via one of the hostages, Marcia Mikhael.

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Hostages run to police during the siege in December 2014. Picture: AP Photo/Rob Griffith

Counsel for slain barrister Katrina Dawson’s family Michael O’Connell SC, asked him: “Does it not make you feel let down to learn that having sent this demand up to command, that it simply wasn’t addressed, responded to by command?”

Peter said: “Yes sir.”

The negotiators, who only communicated with Monis through the hostages, had at one stage questioned whether one or more of the hostages had developed “Stockholm syndrome” - that is feeling trust or affection for their hostage-taker.

Peter said that “someone” had put that up as a suggestion but he was not asked to expand on that answer at the inquest today.

Monis demanded the Christmas lights in Martin Place be switched off via hostage Marcia Mikhael, the inquest heard. Picture Craig Greenhill

The inquest heard that as Monis was armed with a sawn-off shot gun and claimed to have a bomb in his backpack, the police psychiatrist, who cannot be named, queried whether the gunman “had the ticker” to carry out his threats.

At 2.03am on December 16, Monis fired at escaping hostages and 10 minutes later, he murdered Mr Johnson.

Barrister Katrina Dawson died as police stormed the cafe and she was hit by fragments of police bullets.

Peter worked a 17-hour shift that day on less than five hours sleep, the inquest heard. He signed off at midnight on December 15.

The inquest in Sydney continues.

Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson lost their lives during the siege.

The principle negotiator told the inquest he felt let down by commanders after hearing no response to Monis’s demand. Picture: Getty Images