Mert Ney’s sister describes his steep mental health decline before alleged attack
One of Mert Ney’s sisters has broken down while describing the accused CBD knifeman’s steep mental health decline in the week before he allegedly went on a bloody rampage through Sydney, leaving one woman dead and another injured.
The sister of accused CBD knife attacker Mert Ney has apologised to the families of the two victims and says she is “shocked, angry and disgusted” after Tuesday’s attack.
Shaking as she addressed the media, the sister, who asked not to be named, broke down in tears saying: “I just want this to go away.”
“I do not want him to hurt anyone again,” she said, tears falling from her eyes.
Drawing heavily on a cigarette as she struggled to compose herself in a park beside the family home in Marayong, Sydney’s West, the sister went on: ”I just want to say I’m sorry to the families, one of the girls was younger than me, she could have been going out, eating with her mum, shopping with her girlfriends and stuff — she can’t do that now can she?
“I am so sorry, she was defenceless. I’m sorry a million times, I’m sorry for everything.”
Unemployed Ney, 20, who is on Centrelink benefits, is accused of going on a disturbing six-minute rampage across Sydney’s CBD wielding a machete, after allegedly murdering a sex worker and brutally stabbing another woman yesterday.
He was arrested at about 2pm on Tuesday after he was wrestled to the ground by heroic bystanders, who used chairs and milk crates to pin him down on Wynyard Street in the heart of the city.
Trying to make sense of her brother’s mental state, the sister, an online community service work student, described a steep mental health decline over the last week.
“In the past week …, with my brother, there was a steep descent, he absconded from hospital, we thought he was a threat to himself.
“My brother and I aren’t on good terms, mum’s not good, she has not been eating at all we had to go to the doctor’s last night because of the stress. I don’t want to ever speak with him, I’m afraid of him.
“I wish I could make it better for her, for anyone less, I wish I could.
“He never hurt any cats, you know how they usually hurt cats or dogs before killings someone?
“He’s never been violent in the past.”
She demised reports of terrorist links insisting her family were shocked to hear he had harboured terrors ideologies and reading material about mass killings.
“I know I’m dark skinned and I’m from the Middle East but our family don’t practise religion or Islam,” his sister said, adding, “I think religion is an excuse.
“I don’t want to go near him, would you if it was your brother?
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“I’m shocked, angry, disgusted, I hate my last name … I feel dirty and guilty.
“Those people who stopped him were commendable. Now there needs to be help and repercussions.”
Her interview comes after The Daily Telegraph revealed a sister of Ney made a complaint to
police alleging he punched her in the face and choked her six days before the rampage in Sydney’s CBD.
Ney was wanted for questioning over the allegations relating to a domestic violence incident with a relative.
His sister Yazel confirmed she was the complainant in the incident at the family home in Marayong, Sydney’s west, last Wednesday.
Police were called to the family home after Ney allegedly punched his sister.
“He ran at me, punched and choked me, I couldn’t breathe,” she said.
She said her brother had battled anxiety, OCD, depression and schizophrenia for years and a person who would slash a woman’s throat and stab another was a “monster”.
“What happened to those two women is tragic, I feel disgusted,” she said.
Yazel said she was upset about her brother’s alleged actions.
“He’s struggled for a long time but I can’t pinpoint where it began.”
Police said they found Ney in possession of a USB with information about the New Zealand massacre and similar killings in the US after he was crash tackled to the ground.
Witnesses also reported him saying “Allahu Akbar”.
“He’s not a terrorist, god no, he’s messed up, I wish I could fix it but I can’t do anything,” his sister said.
“The family of the deceased is still grieving, and will be mourning for a long time, and I don’t feel comfortable with him being painted in a positive light, as that would invalidate their feelings.”
The woman found dead after Ney’s alleged rampage is believed to be Michaela Dunn. The 24-year-old resided in the Inner West.
Ney’s distressed mother collapsed in tears as police yesterday broke news of her son’s arrest telling officers “you’ve got the wrong man.”
The mother of three sat on a neighbour’s doorstep rocking backwards and forwards as investigators revealed they needed to search the house.
“She was crying and saying ‘I’m waiting for Mert to come, they’ve got the wrong guy,’” neighbour Vijay Sharma said.
“Mert would never do anything, he’s coming back soon’, she kept saying.
“She said police needed to look inside the house but they had nothing to hide.
“She refused to accept Mert was with police and not coming back.”
It will be alleged Ney presented at Blacktown Hospital Emergency Department suffering from a drug overdose after the domestic violence incident but fled through the ambulance doors at 6.15am. Police were later informed.
His sister revealed he regularly absconded from had a history of treatment at hospital mental health departments.
Two months ago he was given a conditional release order at Blacktown Local Court after being caught with found in possession of knuckledusters.
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