Minto terror attack: How all hell broke loose in a ‘non-event’ day in a local salon
VIDEO: This is the moment a fearless family armed themselves with fence palings and rocks to defend wounded neighbour Wayne Greenhalgh after he was allegedly hacked at by 22-year-old Ihsas Khan.
NSW
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IT was the moment a Sydney family stood firm in the face of sheer terror — facing a crazed knifeman with whatever they could find in their garage.
The shocking images emerged last night of the fearless family — dad Sivei Ah Chong, wife Pearl, son Derek and nephew Allice Ah Fa — arming themselves with fence palings and rocks to defend wounded neighbour Wayne Greenhalgh just after he ran up to their car with blood spraying from his injuries.
Knifeman and terror accused Ihsas Khan, 22, had allegedly just launched himself at Mr Greenhalgh in a frenzied attack.
As the bleeding 59-year-old grandfather and Parramatta Eels fan fled for safety inside the Ohlfsen Road hairdressing salon of Duyen Phan, the Ah Chong family bravely stood up to Khan who was allegedly wielding a large bloodied machete at the time.
“When I got outside I could see Wayne running towards our car and he was yelling out ‘help, help me,’ and my dad has yelled at me to grab something from the garage and the closest thing I could find was the broom stick so I have grabbed that and then my dad has chased the attacker and my dad cut him off from Wayne,” said 20-year-old Derek.
“By the time I came back from the garage my dad was standing out the front of the neighbour’s house and the attacker was trying to break into the hairdressers with his knife.”
Premier Mike Baird yesterday paid tribute to the heroes of Saturday’s chilling attack for their actions.
“A group of people who were going about their daily business saw someone who was in trouble and they were willing to risk their lives — that’s pretty inspiring,” Mr Baird said.
“(It) shows that this great state, despite people that might inflict terror upon us, we will stand up, not just through our police but through our community.”
Yesterday the CCTV footage from the salon revealed the true, terrifying extent of the attack as well as capturing the extraordinary bravery of the Ah Chong family and those inside the salon who tended to Mr Greenhalgh, who was bleeding heavily and in shock.
“He was stabbing at the glass sliding door and he was repeatedly praying in Arabic saying Allahu Akbar, this is all for Allah and stuff like that and all this religious stuff and he was constantly saying the blood that had been spilt inside the shop, that what a beautiful sight this is and he just kept stabbing at the window,” Derek said.
Inside that garage salon located at 31 Ohlfsen Rd — just doors away from where accused attacker Khan lived — a tiny lock was all that was keeping the alleged assailant from Mr Greenhalgh, whose wounds were being staunched with towels from the hairdressers.
Outside, the Ah Chongs were still facing off with the attacker and buying precious time before police arrived.
“My dad kept saying to him drop the knife or I will hit you and he just said ‘do it, I want you to do it’,’’ said Derek.
His 43-year-old father then grabbed a piece of wood and hit the alleged attacker over the head.
“He looked a bit dazed.”
Police officers arrived and chased Khan before they lured him off to a side street before tasering him.
Mr Greenhalgh’s daughter Lisa Ballard said she was grateful to the Ah Chongs for saving her father.
“The bravery I can’t even imagine, but I can assure you that if it was the other way around, Dad would do the same thing.”
Mr Greenhalgh’s wife Bronwen last night said that despite undergoing emergency surgery her husband was “recovering well”.
“He is starting to get his wits about him again which is a good sign and we are looking forward to him continuing his recovery and being back with us soon,” she said.
Mr Ah Chong said he had held concerns about Khan’s actions before the confrontation.
“He came to my house once before and he was trying to speak about God and he was dressed in his robes but he was not scary or anything,” he said.
“When he attacked yesterday I did not know what to do because he would not drop the knife even after I kept yelling at him.”
Grand Mufti of Australia Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed condemned the alleged attack.
The accused attacker Khan will reappear in court tomorrow charged with committing an act of terror.
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