Queensland police have revealed the Queensland man responsible for the deaths of six people and hospitalizing 12 others had been in contact with state authorities just five months before Saturday’s attack.
Queensland government agencies will co-operate with the NSW Police-led investigation into the circumstances of the horrific stabbing of Joel Cauchi at Bondi Junction Westfield at 3.30pm on Saturday.
While Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Roger Lowe confirmed Cauchi, 40, had never been arrested or charged by Queensland authorities, he said the man’s last contact with police was in December 2023, when The police checked him on the street.
This refers to an “intelligence gathering report” in which an officer might record someone displaying “some type of unusual behavior,” he said.
Commissioner Cauchi also confirmed that police had responded to an event in “early 2023” involving Cauchi and his family, however no charges were laid.
“That will be the subject of investigation, but he has never been charged with any crime involving a knife or of being found in possession of knives in a way that is unlawful and that warrants prosecution,” he said.
Joel Cauchi caused a massive ruckus in Sydney’s busy Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday night. Image: Twitter
Commissioner Lowe also revealed that Cauchi had been diagnosed with a mental illness at age 17, but received “treatment over the years” before his mental health appeared to worsen in recent years.
Queensland Health records say Cauchi last came into contact with the public health system “more than a decade ago” but his care was “transferred to a private sector psychiatrist in 2012”.
“He has been in contact with the police, mainly in the last four or five years, which would be the most contact we have had with him,” he said.
“During that contact, we are aware that this individual has suffered mental health issues.”
Queensland officers have been in contact with Cauchi’s family, who have been co-operating with police; However, the family has said they were not in regular contact with the man.
Police said Cauchi was unemployed, had no fixed address and had lived in Brisbane, Kangaroo Point, Carrina, the Gold Coast and with his family in southern Queensland before moving to Sydney.
“The last contact with the family, as I understand it, was in March,” Superintendent Lowe said.
“In terms of phone calls or text messages, he would periodically text his mother telling her where he was.”
Joel Cauchi was shot and killed downtown on Saturday.
Qld and NSW to work together
Providing an update on Sunday morning, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed Queensland Police will continue to provide investigations to NSW Police. She said he was known to police in both New South Wales and Queensland for “mental health issues”.
He said NSW investigators may need information from various Queensland agencies, such as Queensland Health, to obtain information.
“That will mean we will work with the Queensland Government and other Queensland authorities,” he said.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, who returned from a family holiday in Japan on Sunday, also said Queensland Premier Steven Miles had agreed to work cooperatively on the investigation.
“The Premier of Queensland contacted me and opened up all the resources of the Queensland Government for this investigation and it looks like we will need them.” “This is very encouraging information,” he said.
Minns said the attack had been horrific and New South Wales was in mourning.
‘We will recover. “It’s going to be a very difficult few days and those families have certainly been through hell, but there are eight million people in this state who are behind them,” he said.
“Everyone is grieving as a result of this and they are not alone.”
He also credited “ordinary members of the public” for their instinctive bravery, as well as the actions of paramedics, doctors and heroic police, NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who was the first officer to arrive at the scene and shot Cauchi when he tried to attack her.
For New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, the attack had been horrific and New South Wales was in mourning.
Eight dedicated mental health support officers will be available to people in Bondi from around 2pm on Sunday, and NSW Health Minister Ryan Park urged people to use the services.
Staff will be uniformed and highly visible.
“There will be dedicated support officers. We are increasing support on our mental health care line and we are providing mental health support to frontline first responders,” he said.
‘I don’t want people to suffer as a result of this tragedy. “These are traumatic scenes that people would have witnessed yesterday both outside and inside the center and please contact us.”
Webb said police would remain at large-scale crime scenes for several days, “if not weeks.”
As a result, Bondi Junction Westfield will remain closed for the next few days; however, cars that were stranded in the parking lot during the initial investigation are being gradually removed.
“So this will be an active investigation for many days and perhaps weeks as we identify not only the offender’s movement, not just yesterday, but the hours, the days, the weeks, his life, up to yesterday, and it will take some time.” . time to work with families,” she said.
A family liaison officer has been appointed for each family affected by the attack.