Sydney siege victim killed by police bullets, says probe
30 Jan 2015 12:43 AM GMT
An inquest into the Sydney cafe seige began on Thursday with details emerging on how a female victim died as she was hit by bullets from security forces who stormed the eatery after the slain Islamist gunman made the cafe’s manager kneel before shooting him dead.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Jeremy Gormly, revealed that 38-year-old barrister Katrina Dawson was struck by six fragments of police bullets after they ricocheted off hard surfaces.
The details of the 17-hour seige emerged for the first time in an inquest which opened at the Coroner’s Court in Glebe suburb of Sydney.
The two victims, cafe manager Tori Johnson and Dawson, were killed after Iranian-born gunman Man Haron Monis, later shot dead by police, took 18 hostages inside the Lindt cafe on December 15 last year.
Details of the of a 12-minute phone call Johnson made to the 000 emergency number at 9.44 am at the behest of Monis also emerged during the inquest.
“Australia is under attack by Islamic State and there are a number of radio-controlled bombs in Martin Place, Circular Quay and George Street,” Johnson told the operator. The call was broadcast over police radio as officers from the Tactical Operations Unit and police negotiators rushed to the scene.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Jeremy Gormly, revealed that 38-year-old barrister Katrina Dawson was struck by six fragments of police bullets after they ricocheted off hard surfaces.
The details of the 17-hour seige emerged for the first time in an inquest which opened at the Coroner’s Court in Glebe suburb of Sydney.
The two victims, cafe manager Tori Johnson and Dawson, were killed after Iranian-born gunman Man Haron Monis, later shot dead by police, took 18 hostages inside the Lindt cafe on December 15 last year.
Details of the of a 12-minute phone call Johnson made to the 000 emergency number at 9.44 am at the behest of Monis also emerged during the inquest.
“Australia is under attack by Islamic State and there are a number of radio-controlled bombs in Martin Place, Circular Quay and George Street,” Johnson told the operator. The call was broadcast over police radio as officers from the Tactical Operations Unit and police negotiators rushed to the scene.
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