Bondi Junction coronial inquest will look into whether hero cop’s ‘use of force was justified’
It comes almost a year after Joel Cauchi stabbed six people to death with a hunting knife at the Bondi Junction Westfield. Twelve others were injured on that fateful afternoon.
A coronial inquest into the Bondi Junction mass murder will look at the “circumstances in which Inspector Amy Scott discharged her firearm”, killing the culprit, and whether “such use of force was justified, reasonable and appropriate”.
It comes almost a year after Joel Cauchi stabbed six people to death with a large hunting knife at a Westfield Bondi Junction on April 13, 2024. Twelve others were injured on that Saturday afternoon.
A hero cop, Inspector Scott, responded alone to calls of a man wielding a knife, chasing him through the shopping centre, before he turned and charged towards her. She shot Cauchi twice – once in the neck and once in the shoulder – killing him. Inspector Scott received a special award for bravery at a police ceremony last year.
It is part of a detailed list of the “issues” to be covered during the inquest from April 28 to May 30, which includes an in-depth look at Cauchi’s background.
On the list is why he moved from Queensland to NSW in December 2023 and the relevant events that led up to April 13; the mental health conditions he was suffering and “the nexus (if any)” to the murders; his mental health history from February 2020 onwards, including whether he received adequate treatment for his mental health conditions and “the circumstances in which Mr Cauchi ceased the use of psychotropic medication”.
His “state of mind” prior to and on April 13 will also be an important factor for the coroner, including whether and to what extent there was an identifiable motive or planning involved, and whether the killings were targeted to a particular individual or group.
Shopping centre security and the police response will come under scrutiny, including the adequacy of the response of NSW Police and the “circumstances in which Inspector Amy Scott discharged her firearm, leading to the death of Cauchi, including whether such use of force was justified, reasonable and appropriate”.
How the media obtained information, images and footage in the immediate aftermath of the events, and the impact on the deceased’s families will also be raised.
The Court will then potentially make recommendations about available treatments for people suffering from chronic schizophrenia and whether restrictions should be imposed on the sale of Ka-Bar USMC utility knives.
Emotions ran high amid a final directions hearing at the Coroners Court earlier this week.
On Sunday, adman John Singleton, whose daughter Dawn was one of Cauchi’s victims, told 60 Minutes he was concerned the inquest would be “sick, macabre, ghoulish” if counsel assisting the coroner opted to show CCTV of Cauchi’s attacks.
The next day, Mr Singleton’s youngest daughter Daisy said her father had misrepresented Dawn in the interview.
The Singleton family, excluding Mr Singleton, were represented by high profile barrister Sue Chrysanthou who took aim at “inaccurate” media reports framing murderous rampage. Ms Chrysanthou also appeared for the families of Ashlee Good and Jade Young.
Her sentiments were echoed by lawyers for the families of Cheng Yixuan, Pikria Darchia and Faraz Tahir, with the coroner and counsel seeking to assuage concerns over “ghoulish” evidence.
Given the “significant distress” it would cause, Peggy Dwyer SC, the counsel assisting the coroner, ruled that no CCTV or sensitive body-worn footage would be shown from the day of the attack.
However, she flagged the inquest would still contain body-worn video from Queensland Police meeting with Cauchi at his family home in January 2023 in order to understand his mental health presentation.
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