Lindt cafe siege inquest: Forensic psychiatrist Jonathan Phillips on mental state of Man Haron Monis
A FORENSIC psychiatrist has told the Sydney siege inquest he was not surprised the gunman — who had a narcissistic personality disorder — targeted Tori Johnson.
MAN Haron Monis’ decision to single out and kill Lindt cafe manager Tori Johnson was consistent with the gunman’s narcissistic disorder, a psychiatrist has told an inquest.
The inquest into the deaths arising from the Sydney siege this afternoon heard that Monis was prepared to kill and die if he didn’t get his own way.
Forensic psychiatrist Jonathan Phillips told the inquest he was not surprised Monis — who had a narcissistic personality disorder — had targeted Mr Johnson.
Dr Phillips said narcissists typically have problems with people in authority, need to feel “above and beyond them” and often become aggressive when they lose control.
“If (Monis) was going to single someone out, as a narcissist, (he would go for) that (senior) person,” Dr Phillips said.
“It’s consistent with Tori being the senior person in the cafe.
“If there was one person who had some authority in the cafe — although diminished — that person would be the major threat to (a narcissist).
“Every pointer (was) there to make me as a psychiatrist very worried.”
Dr Phillips said Monis’ psychological profile and past behaviours indicated prior to the siege that he was an unpredictable, highly dangerous man who was likely to kill under pressure.
“This man was, by any definition, a dangerous psychopath,” he said.
Dr Phillips said Monis became increasingly dangerous during the siege.
“As the hours went by and more hostages escaped and (Monis) became more desperate and more tired (and) he organised the killing of Mr Johnson in a conscious manner,” he said.
“It was not the random firing of a bullet.
“He had Mr Johnson kneel on the floor in front of all other hostages and shot him carefully and deliberately and he died.
“That is anti social behaviour of the highest order.
“I believe he was prepared to kill if he didn’t get his own way and he was prepared to die as well.”
GUNMAN’S SEX CRIMES WERE A WARNING
Monis’ prior charges for multiple sexual assaults should have been “strong indicators” of future misconduct, the inquest heard.
Dr Phillips on Monday morning told the inquest that Monis’ history of violent offences including “numerous sexual assaults on patients in his spiritual healing practice” were strong indicators of his future behaviours.
Monis was on bail for 43 serious sexual assault charges at the time of the Lindt cafe siege on December 15, 2014.
His string of sexual assault charges resulting from his attacks on seven women date back to 2002.
Monis had coerced the women to his ‘spiritual healing’ practice where he then sexually assaulted them.
“He was not pointing a gun at these people but he had all the power and was forcing them literally to have sex with him,” Dr Phillips said.
“A generalisation could be made that if a person’s conduct is out of kilter with what society believes and accepts … his behaviour in general (was at risk of) being out of kilter with (wider) society.
“I cannot see how the acts (of sexual assault against multiple women) were anything but acts of violence.”
Phillip Boulton SC, the barrister for siege victim Katrina Dawson’s family, this morning told the inquest that police “knew (Monis had) been charged with offences prior to the siege”.
“Sexual assaults are regarded in psychiatric and legal terms as acts of violence.”
The inquest before NSW Coroner Michael Barnes is looking into the deaths arising from the siege, which began when Monis entered the cafe and took 18 people hostage.
It will also examine the police response, with the findings expected to be delivered later this year.
Monis was killed by police who stormed the cafe after he was seen shooting cafe manager Tori Johnson in the head. Barrister Katrina Dawson was killed when a fragment of a police bullet struck her in the chest.
‘HE WOULD HAVE KILLED MORE HOSTAGES’
Monis was a “member of the most dangerous groups of people in society” and would have killed all of the hostages if police didn’t storm the building, an inquest has heard.
Dr Phillips was called to the stand at the inquest this morning to provide an analysis of Monis’ psychiatric state based on his past medical history, his actions and behaviours up to and including the siege.
Dr Phillips said Monis did not suffer from a mental illness but was a psychopath with paranoid personality, narcissistic and anti-social disorders.
“Monis belonged to a group of people who are potentially highly dangerous,” Dr Phillips said.
“His complex personality disturbance with paranoid and narcissistic features put him at the epicentre of that group.
“Monis had a history that was well known to a number of authorities (and) analysis of his records should have acted as a predictor to his violent manner and his (ability) to murder other people.
“Examination of his record should have rung alarm bells.
“(It) should have defined him as extremely dangerous.”
Dr Phillips said the siege “could have (been even) worse” if police didn’t storm the building after Monis executed cafe manager Tori Johnson at point blank range. Hostage Katrina Dawson was also killed in the siege.
“Each hour of the siege increased the risk of mayhem and murder … as hostages escaped and Monis became more fatigued,” Dr Phillips said.
“It is highly probable in a forensic psychiatric view, if the siege had not been terminated by police action, Monis would have gone on to murder multiple hostages.”
Dr Phillips said Monis lived in a world where he took no notice of others.
“He never stopped to reflect or challenge these (radical) thoughts or ideas,” he said.
“He had paranoid features written into his personality structure.
“He was a member of the most dangerous group of persons in our society.”
According to Dr Phillips, symptoms of Monis’ personality disorder would have been evident in his adolescence.
“(The individual with an) anti-social disorder, or psychopath, has the capacity to mimic a normal functioning person, but has a finely tuned ability to mask their deceit,” he said.
“A person with (this) disorder … has immense ability to cause extreme harm to others.
“Monis failed to conform to social norms.”
Dr Phillips told the inquest that a person with a narcissistic disorder typically shows a reckless regard for others.
“He never showed remorse,” he said.
“Monis had numerous longstanding features of narcissistic disorder (which) is said to exist in a situation where a person has an absolute focus on himself and a grandiose views of his talents and abilities.
“Monis most unfortunately has these characteristics … (and) a preoccupation with power and success.
“He believed he was above other people and had a strong sense of entitlement.
“He was grossly exploitative in his personal relationships.
“Other people became merely objects in his egocentric psychological world.”
The inquest continues.