Lindt Cafe siege inquest: Lawyers turn on each other as top cop Cath Burn questioned

THE highly paid barristers appearing at the Lindt Cafe siege inquest have turned on each other as NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Cath Burn was quizzed in the witness box.

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THE highly-paid barristers appearing at the Lindt Cafe siege inquest have turned on each other as Deputy Commissioner Cath Burn was quizzed in the witness box.

They accused each other of being reprehensible, disgusting and improper.

The blizzard of insults was sparked by questions by Gabrielle Bashir SC, counsel for the family of slain hostage Tori Johnson, about whether Ms Burn had been monitoring what was happening at the cafe after she went home about 10.10pm as hostages remained in the cafe in fear for their lives.

Deputy Commissioner Cath Burn arriving today at the Lindt inquest for another round of questioning. Picture: John Grainger

Ms Burn was asked if she had been watching what happened at 2.03am on December 16 which was when the terrorist Man Monis first fired his shotgun after a group of hostages fled the cafe.

Counsel for the police, Ian Freckelton QC, leapt red-faced to his feet.

He accused Ms Bashir of “an ongoing attempt to sully the good name” of Ms Burn, who is also the state’s head of counter-terrorism.

“You have evidence before you that she was ordered home so that she could be fresh in the morning,” Mr Freckelton said.

“This is improper. It’s reprehensible. It should not be allowed.”

Next on his feet was Phillip Boulten SC, counsel for the family of barrister Katrina Dawson who died after being hit by fragments of police bullets when police stormed the cafe at 2.13am.

Mr Boulten said he did not know what evidence Mr Freckelton had been listening to but he could not see anything wrong.

“It’s disgusting,” he said for Mr Freckelton to attack a fellow barrister like this.

Mr Freckelton said: “I stand by it.”

Then counsel assisting the inquest, Jeremy Gormly SC, said he also objected to those questions being asked of Ms Burn because she had not been involved in operational decisions during the siege including whether or when to storm the cafe.

NSW State Coroner Michael Barnes disallowed the question.

Ms Bashir wanted to know if that was because of Mr Gormly’s objection — or Mr Freckelton’s.

The coroner said he upheld the objection as articulated by Mr Gormly.

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