‘Too scared to go home’: Father’s shock after teen son’s alleged stabbing attack

The father of the teen arrested after allegedly stabbing a bishop during a livestreamed church service drove around “in shock” for hours after the attack, fearing he and his family would be attacked by the angry mob.

The father of the 16-year-old arrested after a stabbing attack on a bishop during a livestreamed church service was “too scared to go home”, a Muslim community leader and lawyer says.

Gamel Kheir said he spoke to the teenager’s father just hours after the attack.

“The father was in shock and he was too scared to go home,” Mr Kheir told The Daily Telegraph.

“He thought if he did he’d be arrested himself.”

“He was also concerned about his wife and their young daughter.”

Muslim community leader and lawyer Gamel Kheir, top left, spoke to the alleged stabber’s terrified father in the wake of the alleged attack. Picture: Supplied/News Corp

Mr Kheir was contacted by the boy’s father through a mutual friend, with the community leader inviting the man to join him at Lakemba Mosque — where they remained at 2am on Tuesday morning.

“He was just driving around,” Mr Kheir said.

“He thought he was going to get attacked.

“We just spent the night with him there at the mosque. He wasn’t really saying much.”

The lawyer said the teen’s father was “crying”.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” Mr Kheir said.

“I’ve never met such a humble person (the father).

“It’s shocking.”

Mr Kheir said the father said there were “no telltale signs” the teenager was planning to attack the bishop.

‘BRAINWASHED’

“He noticed his son was being disobedient to him, but that’s the only sign,” he said.

“There was nothing apparent to him.”

The Lakemba Mosque leader confirmed the teenager was not a parishioner and that whoever “brainwashed that child” should be found.

“To me we condemn the act, not condemn the child,” he said.

“We can’t just disown him.

“Who I condemn is the person who brainwashed that child. Who has prayed on a vulnerable child.

We need to find out what monster or monsters caused it.”

Mr Kheir has “begged” the Australian community to stay united following Monday night’s attack and said we “need to do more with our youth.”

“We are one community. They want us to be divided not uniformed,” he said.

“We are the Australian community. Don’t let them divide us. We are one multi- cultural, multi- faith community.”

VIOLENT RIOTERS TO HAVE “BOOK THROWN AT THEM”: WEBB

Police Commissioner Karen Webb has hinted that arrests could start as early as today after a number of frontline workers were attacked by angry rioters in the wake of a terror-related stabbing on Monday night.

Assyrian religious leader Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed several times by a 16-year-old at the Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley.

The pandemonium and chaos that followed the live-streamed stabbing attack saw thousands descend on the church, with the group initially trying to break in to attack the teen before destroying anything and everything in sight.

“It’s possible (they) will start today, when I was at the police station yesterday they had some clear indications of who some of those individuals were and they can expect a knock at the door,” Webb said on ABC Radio National.

Health Minister Ryan Park also backed the Police Commissioner and said those who injured frontline workers will have “the book thrown at them.”

Chaos outside the church in Wakeley, Sydney where Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed multiple times. Picture: TNV

“These are paramedics who went into the chaos to look after people, try and protect people, to try and put people back together and get them on their way to hospital,” Health Minister Ryan Park said on 2GB.

“They essentially couldn’t move for hours and that’s not a system that we want to see, that’s not anything we want to see in NSW ever again.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb said arrests will start today. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

A police officer was injured during the riots. Picture: Liam Mendes

“I support exactly what the Police Commissioner and Premier said yesterday, I hope they throw the book at these people.”

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil left to the defence of the emergency services response after the attack while also pointing to past terrorist attacks that have been “thwarted” by law enforcement.

A small selection of flowers out front of a property across the road on Wednesday morning. Picture: Rohan Kelly

“I’ve got an enormous level of confidence in the people who work in this area,” she said on Sunrise on Wednesday.

“Our law enforcement officials are very good at what they do and we know that they have successfully thwarted about 21 terrorist attacks, things that would have been incredibly violent incidents over the last decade.”

It comes after small crowds gathered outside the church on Wednesday morning to pray for the Bishop who is currently recovering in hospital.

Flowers and candles have been laid outside the Good Shepherd Church despite the community being told to avoid the area for safety concerns.

INJURED COPS BACK ON JOB

Premier Chris Minns has confirmed that some of the police officers who were injured in Monday night’s riots are back on the job.

Speaking to Sunrise on Wednesday morning, Minns said quick return to work for the injured frontline workers reinforces their “courage” and “dedication.”

“I spoke to five police officers that have been admitted into hospital after the riot,” he said.

“You have never seen a group of people who are more courageous and dedicated to the job. “Several of them were back out on shift the next day. I mean, that’s their kind of dedication to the taxpayers of this state.”

More than 100 police swarmed to the scene as the mob grew, but at least two officers were injured as they clashed with members outside the church.

FAMILY OF ALLEGED STABBER MOVE OUT

Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the family of the alleged stabber have moved out of their western Sydney home due to safety concerns.

“I am aware that the family did seek to move elsewhere – they don’t want to be the centre of attention here and nor should they,” Webb said on ABC radio.

“They’ve made a decision to move for the time being.”

The mother, who was escorted from her Greenacre house by Police yesterday leaves the house today. Photo: Tamaryn McGregor

The 16-year-old remains in hospital under police guard and is yet to be charged.

The parents were seen leaving a Western Sydney property on Wednesday morning, which was forensically examined by specialist police detectives investigating the attack on Assyrian Christian leader Mar Mari Emmanuel.

The pair – who had their faces covered with medical masks and sunglasses, ran from the home to a white car with plastic green grocery bags in their hands which they held up.

In similar fashion to the day prior – the parents were seen leaving the property.

The pair declined to speak to media who were outside and drove away quickly.

Neighbours of the property said they did not know why the home was being searched by police over two days, but said they had been asked by detectives if they saw a “man wearing black clothes and red shoes” on Monday around midday.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by the couple photographed leaving the home.

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Originally published as ‘Too scared to go home’: Father’s shock after teen son’s alleged stabbing attack