A security supervisor dealing with the aftermath of a mall stabbing spree has acknowledged that things could have been done differently.
Joel Cauchi, 40, brought a 30cm knife to Bondi Junction Westfield and launched an unprovoked, violent attack on April 13, 2024.
He killed six people and injured another 10, including a nine-month-old baby.
Concerns about that operator’s competency and communication skills had been previously raised and she had been put through additional training, the supervisor said.
Despite the concerns, the operator was left alone in the control room on April 13.
Under questioning from counsel assisting Christopher Murphy, the supervisor reflected on what happened.
“I wish we did better, I wish we did different,” he said.
He also regretted not personally heading to the control room after the first stabbing occurred.
The supervisor instead sent another trusted, experienced officer.
Communication difficulties have also been raised during the inquest after radios were filled with chatter during the attacks.
Running through the mall, the supervisor helped give first aid to some victims lying on the ground and went to get privacy screens after he saw kids watching the traumatic scenes.
Security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, was one of those killed in the attack.
Barrister Lester Fernandez SC, representing Mr Tahir’s family, asked whether there should now be two people in the CCTV control room at all times.
“That would be a good idea,” the supervisor replied.
Bondi Junction Westfield security guards now receive additional training and practice drills for armed offender situations, he said.
Guards had also been issued stab-resistant vests.
Dawn Singleton, 25, Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, Yixuan Cheng, 27, also lost their lives in the attack.
The coroner late yesterday released footage of Cauchi’s interaction with Queensland Police in early 2023 after his father confiscated his collection of military knives.
The collection included a knife that was the exact type used in the Bondi Junction mall attack a year later, an inquest into the stabbings was previously told.
