Lindt siege inquiry: ‘It’s amazing we’re not all dead’

LINDT cafe hostage Louisa Hope had no idea how close she came to death until she watched a graphic police ­­re-enactment of the final standoff yesterday.

• Katrina Dawson hit SEVEN times as she tried to hide
• Man Monis’ head ‘BURST like a balloon’ under police fire
• Police negotiator had ‘four other jobs’ during cafe stand-off

LINDT cafe hostage Louisa Hope had no idea how close she came to death until she watched a graphic police ­­re-enactment of the final standoff yesterday.

It showed Ms Hope, 53, clearly lit up by the torches of the heavily armed Tactical Operations Unit officers as they burst through the doors of the cafe to bring the 17-hour siege to an end in December 2014.

Using 3D imaging technology, crime scene officer Domenic Raneri recreated the final seconds when police stormed the cafe, using avatars to depict the officers as well as the six hostages still in the cafe, in vision played at the inquest.

Siege survivor Louisa Hope leaving the Lindt Cafe siege inquiry. Picture Craig Greenhill

After watching it for the first time, Ms Hope said she was amazed to see how she had been looking straight at the door, standing on the right of gunman Man Monis, just less than 1m away, as he opened fire on the officers. The police fired 22 bullets in his direction, up to 14 hitting his body and killing him.

“I can only be amazed at how we got out ... how amazing it is that we are not dead,” Ms Hall, who had remained in the cafe with her mother Robyn, said outside court.

She still has shrapnel in her body after suffering gunshot wounds to her abdomen and ankle but has been at the inquest almost every day, as have Katrina Dawson’s parents, Alexander and Jane Dawson.

The inquiry was played footage of the police assault on the cafe.

Heavily armed tactical police would eventually burst in an killed Man Monis.

The police re-enactment showed how their 38-year-old daughter had been lying beneath a chair, facedown on the floor, her hands covering her head which was close to Monis’ feet as police opened fire. Ms Dawson died after she was hit by seven fragments of police bullets.

Police stormed the cafe after Monis shot dead cafe manager Tori Johnson at 2.13am on December 16, 2014, after taking 18 people hostage inside the cafe the previous morning.

“Coming to the inquest is out of respect for Tori and Katrina and every single person who was in that siege ... honouring them,” Ms Hope said.

Ms Hope said she kept attending the inquiry out of respect for her fellow hostages. Picture Craig Greenhill

Gunman Man Haron Monis was killed by police.

The computer re-enactment, accurate to within a millimetre, showed how Monis fired first at the officers. His two shots hit the wall to the left of the door about 1m-2m from the heads of the police.

His shots were timed at 20.6 seconds after the police emergency action plan was initiated, triggered by the death of Mr Johnson.

The first officer, codenamed Officer A, opened fire at 25.767 seconds as his partner, Officer B, moved into the cafe and over to his left and also opened fire.

The inquest continues.