Joel Cauchi, who killed six people and injured many more in a frenzied knife attack at Westfield Bondi Junction, lived a transient lifestyle before the horror incident, police have revealed.
Addressing media just after 1pm on Sunday, Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe said officers had been with Cauchi’s family since last night, breaking the news and collecting information for their investigation.
Assistant Commissioner Lowe said police had learned from the family that Cauchi had been sleeping in a vehicle or at a backpacker hostel before the attack in Sydney, but he was not in regular contact with his parents.
Cauchi did, however sometimes “text his mother with an update as to where he was”.
He said Cauchi had been diagnosed with a mental illness at the age of 17, and that his mental health had declined in the last few years.
A statement from Queensland Health confirmed Cauchi had been treated for mental health issues more than a decade ago, but “his care was transferred to a psychiatrist in the private sector in 2012”.
Assistant Commissioner Lowe said Cauchi’s family had reached out to police after seeing footage of the horrific fatal attack on television and had been “assisting in all elements that they can to gain an understanding of why their son, in this particular case, allegedly behaved in this manner and killed people in a public place.”
He said their first thought was to express concern for the police officer who killed their son.
“As the family have co-operated with the Queensland Police Service in this regard, and we are issuing a statement on their behalf with respect to their own condolences and thoughts to the family and friends of those victims involved in this tragedy,” he said.
“Equally, they have sent a message to the NSW Police Force with respect to support of the police officer who has killed their son and expressing their concerns for her welfare.”
‘BOLLARD MAN’ IDENTIFIED
The brave bystander who attempted to hold off the attacker, earning him the viral nickname of ‘Bollard man’ has been identified by The Daily Telegraph as Silas Despreaux.
Videos from the incident showed Mr Despreux attempting to stop Cauchi, who was armed with a knife, from advancing up the escalator.
The Daily Telegraph reported the Ukranian man grabbed the metal post, and was attempting to stop the attacker from reaching a children’s play area.
At a press conference on Sunday morning, NSW Premier Chris Minns expressed his admiration for the acts of bravery from bystanders displayed during the mass attack.
“I don’t want to search for a silver lining but it has been incredible to see complete strangers jump in run, towards the danger, put their own lives in harm’s way to save someone that they’ve never met before,” he told reporters.
4 VICTIMS IN CRITICAL CONDITION
NSW Health have shared an update into the condition of the 12 people taken to hospital following Saturday’s attack.
As of Sunday afternoon, one female patient was recently discharged from Prince of Wales Hospital, while three adult patients remain in a critical but stable condition.
The nine-month-old daughter of Ashlee Good is also in a critical but stable condition in the ICU at the Sydney Children’s Hospital.
Out of the 11 victims who remain in hospital:
– Four patients are at St Vincent’s Hospital.
One male patient is in ICU in a critical but stable condition. One female is in ICU in a stable condition Two female patients are in a stable condition.
– Two patients are at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
One female is in ICU in a critical condition and one male is in a stable condition on a ward.
– Two female patients are at Prince of Wales Hospital
Both are in a stable condition
– One female patient is at St George Hospital
She is in a stable condition.
– One female patient is at Royal North Shore Hospital
She is in ICU in a serious but stable condition.
The family of survivor Yvonne Wineberg, who was discharged on Sunday, shared their relief at the Sydney mum’s recovery.
“I feel so sorry for my mum, to have to go through something like this,” said her son, Jake.
“She’s the kindest person I know and it hurts me to know she had to go through something like that. It’s always the innocent ones who get hurt.
“I’m happy she’s alive. There are six people – seven, including the guy who did it – that (aren’t).”
SYDNEY ARCHITECT NAMED AMONG 6 KILLED
Bellevue Hill woman and local architect Jade Young, 47, has been confirmed as one of the six people who died on Saturday.
The mum-of-two was a beloved member of the Bronte Surf Life Saving Club, and was a long-time eployee at a Double Bay architect firm.
In response to the tragedy, the eastern Sydney surfclub issued a Facebook post cancelling their weekly Sunday Sips event.
“This is and will be a difficult time for the community, and we encourage you to seek support from family, friends, fellow Club members or to speak to your GP to assist you in processing this tragedy,” the post read.
“We are here to support the community, and our heartfelt condolences go out to everyone affected.”
OPERA HOUSE TRIBUTE FOR VICTIMS
The Sydney Opera House will be lit up with a sombre black ribbon from 6pm on Monday night in a tribute to the six lives who were lost in the attack.
Both the Australian and Aboriginal flags will also be flown at half-mast on major landmarks including the Sydney Opera Bridge and Parliament House on Monday.
POPE OFFERS CONSOLATION AND PRAYERS
The Pope has said he is “deeply saddened” by Saturday’s bloodshed.
In a telegram addressed to Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher, Pope Francis expressed his “spiritual closeness to all affected by this senseless tragedy” and especially those mourning the loss of a loved one.
“The Pope offered his prayers for the dead, the injured, and the first responders,” the Vatican said on Sunday.
“In the telegram, he ‘invokes upon the nation the divine blessings of consolation and strength’.
MINNS RETURNS FROM HOLIDAY
Premier Chris Minns has returned to Sydney after the massacre calling it “a very sad day in the history of NSW.”
The premier had been in Japan for a family holiday when Joel Cauchi fatally stabbed six people – five women and a man – and stabbed a number of others, including a nine-month-old baby.
“Sydney has suffered a horrifying and violent attack on innocent people who were doing something everybody does on the weekend and that is going shopping with their family and their friends,” Mr Minns said.
“The individual stories of those who’ve been killed, the complete strangers rushing in to help, as well as acts of courage and bravery mean that whether you know the individuals who’ve been killed or not, you’re grieving today.
“The entire state will have to get behind those families in the days ahead as they recover and they go through the inevitable grief associated with such a horrifying, horrifying event.”
It was revealed at the press conference that the man killed by Joel Cauchi, 40, from Queensland was a security guard at the shopping centre.
ASH’S FAMILY REELING
One of the families at the centre of a gut-wrenching Bondi Junction stabbing attack has broken their silence, thanking the public for their support.
Ashlee Good and her nine-month-old daughter were both stabbed in the attack at a Westfield shopping Centre on Saturday afternoon.
Ms Good died of her injuries, but not before she handed her baby to two men to try and save the infant.
Ms Good’s family have thanked the public for the messages of support and the two men, saying the nine-month-old is recovering after surgery.
“After hours of surgery yesterday our baby is currently doing well,” the family said in a statement.
The family was grateful for the expert care at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
“To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not – words cannot express our gratitude.
“We are struggling to come to terms with what has occurred. We would appreciate peace and privacy while we work through this as a family,” the statement reads.
A third woman who was killed has been identified as a mother-of-two from Bellevue Hill, whose family has requested her name not be released, The Sydney Morning Herald has reported.
She grew up in the Illawarra.
BONDI KILLER NAMED
Police are combing through a small storage facility in inner Sydney, rented by the 40-year-old Queensland man who killed six people during the stabbing rampage at Westfield Bondi Junction.
Five women and a man were fatally stabbed by Joel Cauchi at the busy shopping centre on Saturday afternoon.
Several others remain in hospital, some in a critical condition, while others are stable.
Passers-by have been laying flowers outside the Bondi Junction shopping centre, which is closed on Sunday.
NSW Police said he had a small storage facility in Sydney, which is being searched.
Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said Cauchi had suffered from mental health issues and said the motivation for his attack did not appear to terrorism.
“We have recovered no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise,” Assistant Commissioner Cooke told reporters.
“We know that the offender in the matter suffered from mental health, we are continuing to work through, the profiling of the offender.
“But very clearly to us at this stage, it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved.”
The 40-year-old was killed by a senior police officer who ran into the shopping centre to confront the man alone.
Assistant Commissioner Cooke appealed to the public for help.
“If there are people out there who have not spoken with the Police and they have information, would you please make yourselves known to us.”
JOHN SINGLETON’S DAUGHTER AMONG VICTIMS
The 25-year-old daughter of Australian businessman John Singleton has been identified as one of the victims of the shocking stabbing attack.
Dawn Singleton is the second of the six victims Saturday’s attack to be named, following 38-year-old mother Ash Good whose nine-month-old baby was also stabbed.
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese again passed on his thoughts for the victims and their families after attending Mass at St Christophers in Canberra.
“The events of yesterday have shocked the nation,” he said.
“Australians are waking up to try to deal with the shock and trauma that will come, with what has occurred, with violent actions that are unspeakable and really just beyond comprehension.”
MOTHERS AMONG THOSE KILLED
He stabbed more than a dozen people, including a nine-month-old baby. She is in hospital after undergoing surgery on Saturday night.
Her mother, 38-year-old Ash Good, was one of the six people fatally stabbed by the assailant who began his rampage in one of the country’s biggest shopping centres after 3.20pm.
Her baby girl underwent hours of surgery and “is currently doing well” at Sydney Children’s Hospital, the family statement said.
A mother-of-two from Bellevue Hill in Sydney’s eastern suburbs has also been identified, although her family has requested her name not be made public.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said on Sunday 12 people were currently in hospital, in conditions ranging from critical to stable.
“I can’t begin to thank enough our frontline paramedics, our police and of course, our clinicians and nurses at our hospitals who performed miracles last night,” Mr Park told Nine.
“No doubt, people are alive today because of their work.”
TWO VICTIMS FROM OVERSEAS
Two of the victims were from overseas and have no family in Australia.
“So we are working through, and with agencies overseas to attempt to reach out to the families of those victims,” Assistant Commission Anthony Cooke told reporters on Sunday.
At least another seven people were injured and taken to hospital in either serious or critical conditions.
Police say the lone man, who wore a Kangaroos jersey and wielded a knife, could have killed and injured more had it not been for the bravery of one senior police officer who chased after him and ultimately shot him.
At this stage, police don’t believe the incident was terrorism motivated.
Assistant Commissioner Cooke said the officer was coping.
“And can I just say how proud we are of the actions of the officer involved
last night.
“She will be receiving all the support that she requires.”
WESTFIELD TO REMAIN CLOSED
Westfield Bondi Junction remains closed on Sunday. But arrangements are being made to allow people to retrieve their cars from the car park.
“Work continues at the crime scene,” Assistant Commissioner Cooke said.
“We understand that there are people who were present and may have property or belongings at the scene.
“We will make arrangements promptly to ensure that people are advised how they can go about retrieving whatever that might be, including, for example, motor vehicles.”
More Coverage
Bondi Westfield stabber ‘known to police’
PM’s horror at ‘shocking’ Bondi carnage
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed his horror at the attack, as has King Charles III and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Meanwhile NSW Premier Chris Minns has cut short a family holiday to fly back to Sydney from Japan.
More to come
