‘I was terrified’: security guard in charge tells Bondi stabbings inquest communication difficulties caused delay in warning | Bondi Junction stabbings

A safety guard in command of emergency response the day Joel Cauchi fatally stabbed six folks inside a Bondi buying centre has instructed an inquest that communication difficulties triggered a delay in warning clients in regards to the incident.

The coronial inquest heard {that a} public emergency announcement was not issued till 17 minutes after Cauchi killed his sixth and final sufferer, and 14 minutes after a police officer had already shot him lifeless, an inquest has heard.

The revelation got here as CCTV was proven to the coronial inquest on Wednesday, inspecting the actions of Joseph Gaerlan, the safety guard assigned as chief warden the day of the incident.

Gaerlan’s duties on this function included, in an emergency state of affairs, getting folks to security and offering data to police.

“It’s fairly tough … taking a look at CCTV [is] fairly irritating as a result of the time handed didn’t really feel like that on the day,” he stated, earlier than starting to cry.

“It simply felt so fast … there was a number of data coming from totally different folks, totally different sources.”

The inquest, scheduled for 5 weeks, is inspecting the deadly stabbing of six folks by Cauchi, who had schizophrenia, at Westfield Bondi Junction in April 2024.

Cauchi, then 40, killed Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Younger, 47, Yixuan Cheng, 27, Pikria Darchia, 55, Daybreak Singleton, 25, and Faraz Tahir, 30, and injured 10 others on the buying centre on 13 April final yr earlier than he was shot and killed by police officer Amy Scott.

Gaerlan, 29 on the time of the incident, instructed the court docket that he first realized of the incident throughout his lunch break when one other safety guard made a “distressed” radio alert at 3.33pm: “There’s a number of blood it’s essential to hurry.”

She additionally, based on Gaerlan’s proof, referred to a code black alpha – a risk to non-public security – however didn’t embody a location.

The court docket heard this account was totally different to the written document Gaerlan offered days after the incident, which said the guard had instructed him there was a person with a knife. Gaerlan instructed the court docket he was confused on the time of writing and had not recalled the timeline appropriately.

The court docket was proven CCTV footage of Gaerlan strolling via the centre in a bid to search out out what was taking place, with clients seen stopping him to ask what was occurring. He purported to the court docket that that they had seen retailers closing their shutters, and wished to know why.

The CCTV reveals Gaerlan proceed via the buying centre, with clients standing out the entrance of outlets, earlier than he rapidly turns and runs.

Gaerlan instructed the court docket this was the second, at 3.37pm, when he acquired the primary affirmation from one other safety guard that there was an “energetic armed offender” and to “name blue lights instantly, we want pressing backup”.

Requested by the senior counsel aiding the coroner, Peggy Dwyer SC, why he didn’t alert close by clients at the moment, Gaerlan stated: “My key focus was to enact key rules or key duties as chief warden [referring to issuing a public announcement] as a result of I knew that may have essentially the most wide-ranging attain.”

He instructed the court docket sending a radio message was tough as a result of quantity of site visitors. As soon as he might get via, he instructed the court docket, he despatched a message to the opposite guards over the radio requesting a public announcement, and affirmation police had been contacted. The court docket heard he didn’t recall if he acquired a response.

Requested why he didn’t observe course of and transfer the radio communications throughout to an “emergency channel”, Gaerlan stated he didn’t wish to threat key folks not realising the safety guards had moved channels.

The court docket heard the guards had undertaken coaching for conditions with an energetic armed offender 11 days earlier than the incident.

‘Doing the most effective I might with the data I had’

At 3.40pm, two minutes after Scott shot Cauchi lifeless, the CCTV reveals Gaerlan enter the buying centre’s management room. He instructed the court docket he was then solely conscious there was an armed offender, and had not realized but what number of offenders there have been, what the weapon was, or if there had been any fatalities.

“That data was nonetheless not clear,” he stated.

He instructed the court docket he confirmed with a guard within the management room that she was on the cellphone to police, and is then seen making a cellphone name to who he stated was a extra senior safety member. He stated he instructed this supervisor there was a firearm, however that he didn’t but know any extra about it.

The guards are then seen reviewing that day’s CCTV footage. At this level, Gaerlan instructed the court docket, he understood Cauchi had a knife.

He instructed the court docket he “assumed” by then one other guard had knowledgeable the police there was just one offender. The court docket heard that he not conscious at this level {that a} public announcement had not but been made.

Requested by Dwyer why he prioritised calling a senior supervisor over his core duties as chief warden – together with getting folks to security and offering data to police – Gaerlan stated: “I used to be terrified and had thought that was the following step in my thoughts.”

“I used to be doing the most effective I might with the data I had coming via from numerous sources on the time,” he instructed the court docket.

The court docket heard that at 3.50pm he instructed a safety guard within the management room to make the general public announcement, after he realised it had not but been made.

“My understanding, per my route, [was] it had been happening someday previous to that,” he instructed the court docket.

Requested what his learnings have been from the incident, Gaerlan replied: clearer radio communications.

The inquest continues.