Coles stabbing: Police allege 13yo accused took knife from store
Coles supermarkets across Australia have withdrawn the sale of kitchen knives after a staff member and mother of two was stabbed in an allegedly random attack west of Brisbane.
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Coles supermarkets across Australia have withdrawn the sale of kitchen knives after a staff member was stabbed in an allegedly random attack west of Brisbane.
It comes as the 63-year-old woman injured in the incident has been named.
Investigators will allege the 13-year-old boy accused of trying to kill the supermarket worker by stabbing her in the back took the knife from the store.
A Coles spokeswoman confirmed the move to remove knives nationally began on Wednesday morning. Knives were removed from the Yamanto store on Tuesday following the stabbing.
“Coles has made the decision to withdraw its range of kitchen knives for sale from supermarkets across Australia,” she said.
“SMEG kitchen knives will still be available for redemption at our service desk, until January 21. Coles complies with all legislation regarding the sale of kitchen knives, and this withdrawal is being taken out of an abundance of caution as we conduct a review.
“The safety of our team members and customers is our number one priority across all aspects of our business.”
Security has also been beefed up at the Coles supermarket at Yamanto Central, where staff have been employed to monitor people entering the store.
Claudia Campomayor Watt, 63, was stacking shelves at the Coles store when the boy allegedly stabbed her with the large knife just before 5.30pm on Monday at Yamanto Central Shopping Centre in Ipswich.
The knife penetrated the woman’s body with such force from behind that the blade emerged through the front of her abdomen.
Her injuries were so horrific that a highly specialised team of Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics and a QAS emergency physician provided lifesaving care to the woman in the back of the ambulance on the drive from Yamanto to the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Despite Coles’ latest move, Woolworths has ruled out removing knives from its shelves.
In 2021 a man stole a carving knife from a Woolworths in Melbourne, stabbing two people. Following the incident Woolworths removed knives from all shelves while they conducted a review. In Queensland more than 60 stores still do not sell any kitchen knives.
“We have packaging protocols in place to ensure the range of kitchen knives we sell are housed in high-grade, clamshell packaging,” a Woolworths spokesman said.
“We also have 350 stores across the country where the decision was made to remove knives from sale.
“We’re committed to continue partnering with government, police and industry bodies to safeguard our teams and customers from violence and aggression in our stores.”
On Tuesday the woman remained in hospital in a critical but stable condition.
The 13-year-old boy, who fled before he was chased down by members of the public and security, has been charged with attempted murder and faced Ipswich Children’s Court on Tuesday morning where he did not apply for bail.
The father of a Gold Coast 17-year-old stabbed to death has called for knives to be locked up in cabinets after the latest incident.
Brett Beasley, the father of Jack Beasley, who was stabbed to death on the Gold Coast in late 2019 in a random attack said that while the laws which were introduced late last year to prohibit minors from buying knives was a step forward, more needed to be done.
“I think that is absolutely a step in the right direction,” he said.
“But personally I would like to see them all locked away in cabinets. I’d like to see them all locked away because you cannot go to Bunnings warehouse and get a can of spray paint without it being locked in a big cage and you’ve got to get a worker to come and unlock the cage to give you a can of paint.
“Kids can’t go in and buy a packet of cigarettes because they’re all locked away in cabinets
Mr Beasley said knives should be locked away.
“I don’t care what sort of knife it is,” he said.
“A knife is a knife as far as I’m concerned. A steak knife will kill you just as much as a bloody double weapon.
“I believe that they all should be locked away in cabinets.”
Detective Inspector Michael Manago said police would allege the attack was random and that the child acted alone.
“This is an abhorrent crime that occurred to an innocent 63-year-old woman who was going about her daily employment at her shopping centre,” Inspector Manago said.
“And it shouldn’t happen in society today.”
Inspector Manago said police were investigating the lead-up to the incident and the motive behind the attack.
The Courier-Mail was told by multiple people that the boy has been under the care of the Department of Child Safety.
However, Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm refused to provide details on the incident, including confirming whether the boy is currently under the care of the state.
The shopping centre was plunged into lockdown after the stabbing, with one shopper later saying there had been “blood everywhere”.
Lovisa worker Chelsea Collins said she saw the aftermath of the incident after earlier walking past the victim in Coles.
“I even walked past the fruit aisle and the poor worker before she was stabbed when I went in there,” Ms Collins said.
“I couldn’t help thinking what if that were me or that happened when I was in there at the time?
“At first I thought someone had maybe attempted to steal something, because Coles was locking down, but then I realised other stores were locked down as well, so I started to shut the store.
“Then I saw the little kid running up and down the centre. Eventually I think six people tried to detain him.
“Everyone was just in shock with what had happened. I don’t think we have ever seen something like that happen before our eyes.”
Mama Mac’s worker Steevie Cowdery said she had just closed the pastry store when she heard the woman scream.
“It was pretty scary, I wasn’t sure what had happened, but then I saw the kid run past,” she said.
Say Sushi worker Dshering Dema said she went to see what had happened inside the Coles store after she heard lots of screaming.
“She was lying down and there was also some blood on her back,” she said of the woman.
The incident comes almost a year after the death of grandmother Vyleen White, who was allegedly stabbed by a youth who wanted to steal her car at Redbank Town Square on February 3 last year.
Her daughter Cindy Micallef said the family is reeling from the latest incident.
“I was devastated. It’s just so horrific, very surreal, like deja vu, because it’s like from yesterday it’s three weeks until mum’s first anniversary,” Ms Micallef said.
“(The victim’s) family would be horrified and dismayed, asking why this happened and what the hell is going on. I mean, these people would be so pained and (have) heartache because they don’t know what the outcome is going to be.”
A Coles spokeswoman said their thoughts were with the store team member and their family.
“We are committed to providing them with support, as well as their colleagues who are being offered counselling during this difficult time,” she said. “The safety of our customers and team members is our number one priority.”
Superintendent Kylie Rigg said police would increase high-visibility patrols in the area to make the community feel safer in wake of the incident.
Since Jack’s Law wanding came into place, 74 knives have been detected in the Ipswich district.
Superintendent Rigg said there was no wanding done at the Yamanto Central Shopping Centre on Monday.
The boy’s matter was adjourned until February 25.
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