Mark Thompson jailed for stabbing police officer at Sydney’s Central Station

A man who plunged a hunting knife into the back of a police officer believed he needed to die to release ‘spirits’ possessing him, a court has been told.

A psychotic man who plunged a hunting knife into the back of a police officer at Sydney’s busiest train station has apologised to his victim as he was sentenced for the “very serious” crime.

Mark Thompson was on Friday handed a maximum six years, nine month jail term for the attack on Constable Hayden Edwards at Central Station on April 19, 2019.

Thompson had suffered from schizophrenia for a decade, the District Court was told, and at the time was hearing voices from “spirits” who urged him to ambush a cop in the hope he would be shot dead.

Mark Thompson just before he stabbed Constable Hayden Edwards in 2019.

Judge Gina O’Rourke imposed a four-year non-parole period, backdated to the day of his arrest, meaning he will eligible for release in April 2023.

The 54-year-old last year pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Judge O’Rourke said the “very serious and violent” attack not only caused serious injuries but terrified commuters at the packed station.

On learning his fate, Thompson, appearing in court via video link, asked to speak but only his final words could be clearly made out.

“I apologise to him,” he said.

Police draw their weapons as Thompson refuses to drop the knife.

The court was told Thompson bought a hunting knife from Paddy’s Market on the morning of the assault and arrived at platform one of the station about 6.05pm.

At about 7pm, he approached an on-duty Constable Edwards from behind and thrust the 30cm blade into his back without warning, piercing through a protective vest and cutting into the officer’s body.

Constable Edwards suffered a 6cm wound to his lower thoracic spine and was treated by shocked onlookers as his police colleagues drew their guns on Thompson.

The entire incident was captured on CCTV and played before a sentence hearing earlier this month.

Constable Hayden Edwards, then 30, was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Judge O’Rourke said it was clear Thompson was in a state of psychosis as he refused to drop the knife and resisted a police taser.

The court was told he continued to brandish the blade as he proclaimed: “Come on, cops, try and kill me.”

He dropped the knife after a second blow from a taser and fell onto the tracks at platform one, where he struggled with police attempting to arrest him.

Judge O’Rourke said the attack “was unprovoked and without any warning”, leaving Constable Edwards with no chance to defend himself.

“The offender was psychotic at the time of the offence,” she said.

“The attack upon the victim was random - it was completely unprovoked.”

Police swarmed the scene after their colleague was stabbed. Picture: Perry Duffin/AAP

The court was told that under questioning from police after his arrest, Thompson said he had no memory of stabbing the officer.

“I seen some police and all of a sudden I remember (I) just lost the plot,” he told them.

“I just remember being tasered. I don’t remember putting a knife in anyone or anything.”

The father of three described the inside of his body as being “like a war zone” as competing spirits tried to take over.

“The voice was saying ‘stab a police officer, they’ll shoot you dead’,” he told police.

“I’ve got nothing against police, I’ll tell you that much.”

Terrified onlookers watch the scene unfold.

Thompson would later confide in a psychologist while behind bars that he remembered the attack.

He said “I wanted them to shoot me dead” and he was “sick of the voices inside my head telling me what to do”.

Judge O’Rourke said Constable Edwards was blindsided while “he was simply at work doing his job to protect the community”.

The incident caused fear and panic among commuters who watched the horrific scene unfold, she said.

“They witnessed the crime and then the irrational and erratic wielding of the knife for some minutes,” the judge said.

“There clearly was a disregard for public safety.”

She said Thompson’s significant and chronic mental health conditions clearly contributed to his actions.

Thompson was said to be responding well to treatment for his conditions while in jail.