Australian businessman John Singleton, whose daughter was among those killed in the Bondi Junction stabbing attack last year, has spoken out against an upcoming coronial inquiry, suggesting the “unwanted” probe will only serve to dig up pain for himself and other loved ones of the victims.
His daughter Dawn was among six people killed by Joel Cauchi at Bondi Junction Westfield on April 13, 2024 after Cauchi entered the popular shopping centre armed with a knife and began stabbing people at random.
The rampage came to an end when Cauchi was eventually shot dead by NSW Police Officer Amy Scott.
The other victims were named as Yixuan Cheng (27), Pikria Darchia (55), Faraz Tahir (30), Jade Young (47), and Ashlee Good (38). A further 10 others were injured.
Speaking to 60 Minutes on Sunday, Singleton has called for the inquest — slated to run from April 28 to May 30 — to be scrapped.
“I’m worried about the family or loved ones of those people who were killed, and I don’t see why their privacy should be upset by an inquiry,” he told the program.
“He kills these people, he gets killed. End of story. What else do they want to find out? For four weeks?”
The five-week inquest is scheduled to commence two weeks after the first anniversary of the attack. It will investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack with the aim of preventing similar tragedies.
One of the questions to be considered is how Cauchi selected his victims, who were mostly women.
It will also assess whether there were missed opportunities for intervention and whether there is room for improving emergency services responses.
But Singleton indicated he does not agree with the prospect of re-living the tragic events, including CCTV and police bodycam footage being publicly released or played in court.
“Why do you have to include the actual killings? You want the knife going in? Do you want the blood? It’s like the first five minutes of Taxi Driver. To live through again the macabre footage as they’re all being stabbed and dying, that is absolutely unwanted in this case,” he said, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.
The coroner has said there are no plans to play sensitive footage in the court at this stage.
Still, Singleton indicated this should be a firm guarantee. “If they get rid of all the private footage, the CCTV footage, of these people who were killed and the actual killing, then let them proceed and waste their time and money,” he said.
The devastated father also told 60 Minutes that there are questions he wants answered, like the reason Cauchi — who was a diagnosed schizophrenic — was taken off his medications. The Queensland man had received treatment for 18 years and stopped the medication five years before the attack.
“I think anyone with his degree of problems, publicly known, still left to wander around the streets, suggests the system needs a hard look,” Singleton said.
“What does that have to do with footage of lovely little girls and one bloke getting killed? Nothing.”
He acknowledged that it was reasonable to question why the incident hadn’t raised concerns that could have led to Cauchi being monitored, and agreed that the system allowing the attacks to occur required further scrutiny. However, he doubted whether an inquest was the appropriate forum to address this.
A lawyer acting for Dawn’s fiance, mother and sister issued a statement that Singleton “does not speak on their behalf and the views expressed by him are his alone and are not shared by our clients”, per 60 Minutes.
Barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC, who appeared on behalf of the Singleton, Good and Young families, stated the clients “understand the mandatory nature of the inquest and support it”, as do the families of the other victims.
“From their perspective, their lives have been changed in a way that none of us can really comprehend not being in their situation,” Chrysanthou told the coroner’s court, per The Age.
“Children’s lives have been altered by what occurred. It’s important for them to understand if anything else could have been done, or any recommendations could be made by you to ensure if this happens again it won’t be as impactful on the family as it has been.”
With input from the AAP.
Lead image: Twitter / 60 Minutes
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