Lindt siege inquest: Tiny room was all negotiators had to resolve the crisis
WITH a single landline, mobile and three dictaphones, this cramped office was where negotiators were expected to bring the Martin Place siege to a peaceful end.
NSW
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- POLICE NEGOTIATOR ‘LET DOWN’ BY COMMANDERS
- LINDT SIEGE INQUEST: WHY WE DESERVE ANSWERS
- LINDT NEGOTIATOR BUNGLED RECORDING HOSTAGES
- NEGOTIATOR REVEALS SHOCKING POLICE BLUNDERS
WITH only a landline, a mobile phone and three dictaphones, this cramped office was all negotiators had as they tried to bring a peaceful end to the nation’s first terrorist siege.
Until midnight, more than 14 hours after the Lindt cafe siege started, the police negotiators did not even have a laptop or iPad, the inquest was told yesterday.
And resources do not appear to have got any more hi-tech since two innocent people — cafe manager Tori Johnson and barrister Katrina Dawson — died in the December 2014 tragedy.
The primary negotiator, a senior sergeant codenamed Peter, told the inquest he was not aware of any internal inquiry into the NSW Police Negotiation Unit since then.
He revealed how he had felt let down by his commanders during the siege as he passed up the line to his superiors one demand from gunman Man Monis that Christmas lights in Martin Place be turned off, but heard nothing back.
Peter yesterday told the inquest 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.
The negotiators never spoke to Monis directly.
Counsel assisting the inquest Jeremy Gormly SC has described this as possibly a “missed opportunity”.
Peter conceded he could have followed up on the Christmas lights.
The inquest has heard that an Ausgrid team was assembled, but the lights were never turned off.
Peter and three colleagues turned the office at the NSW Leagues Club into their “cell” from soon after the siege was declared until midnight on December 15 when other negotiators took over.
Among photographs of the office released by the inquest yesterday is one showing negotiators’ brief notes should Monis surrender: “Surrender Plan. Out white door. Turn left to go down the hill. Will be met by uniform police.”
The inquest heard that as Monis was armed with a shotgun and claimed to have a bomb in his backpack, the police psychiatrist, who cannot be named, queried whether he “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. Ms Dawson died as police stormed the cafe and she was hit by fragments of police bullets.
The inquest in Sydney continues.
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