Calls for increases to mental health funding after Joel Cauchi kills six people

The man who served hot meals to Sydney shopping centre mass-murderer Joel Cauchi says Australia needs a national discussion on its lack of mental health support and intervention services.

Tony Hurle instantly recognised the face of the man who stabbed and killed six people in a horrific Sydney shopping centre stabbing — it is one he served hot meals to for months as part of his homeless outreach program.

“I remember Joel (Cauchi) coming up — he was living down there at the park, opposite the Toowoomba Hospital (off Water Street),” the director of Tony’s Community Kitchen said.

“He was always softly-spoken and we never had any issues.

“He was living down there, on and off for a both three or four months in 2019, he would get dropped off (by someone) and pitch his tent for the night.”

As the nation reels from the former Toowoomba man’s murder of six people, including five women, at the Westfield shopping centre in Bondi on Saturday, Mr Hurle said he hoped the tragedy opened up a conversation on more intervention services for people with mental health.

Mr Cauchi, a Harristown State High School and UniSQ graduate who was last seen in Toowoomba just months ago, had reportedly been diagnosed with schizophrenia in his senior year.

Tony's Community Kitchen founder Tony Hurle: ““He was always softly-spoken and we never had any issues.”

Prior to Saturday’s incident, it is understood the 40-year-old had been homeless at various points in his life and developed an obsession with knives.

The Australian reported Mr Cauchi received clinical treatment through the public health system for more than a decade before he was discharged to the care of a private psychiatrist.

Mr Hurle said he regularly met and fed people with similar mental health issues to Mr Cauchi and believed early and persistent intervention could’ve gone some way to prevent what happened.

Flower tributes near the scene of the Bondi massacre.

“It is a shock, and if anything could come of this, what we need to do is more support for mental health — we need more money invested,” he said.

“Even today at our outreach service we see five or 10 people who are waiting to see a psychiatrist and they can’t access those services.

“We have a full-time security officer who works with us (because) in a split second, (participants) can change their minds (and) they’re not themselves when this happens.

“The system has let them down, (so) let’s hope it’s on the national stage and we can get more money spent on mental health, even for organisations like us.”

Mr Hurle said he planned to apply for grant funding to secure visits from a mental health nurse at the charity’s headquarters on a weekly basis to speak with participants.

Andrew Cauchi, the father of Joel Cauchi, at his home in Toowoomba on Monday morning. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Tertius Pickard

Mr Cauchi was raised in a deeply religious household, with his parents Andrew and Michele former attendees of Toowoomba City Church.

Church founder Ian Shelton told The Australian the family were regulars and confirmed Joel’s longstanding mental health issues.

Mr Shelton’s children, prominent Christian activists Lyle and Letitia Shelton, have been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Calls for increases to mental health funding after Joel Cauchi kills six people