Joel Cauchi: Police spoke to Bondi Junction Westfield killer months earlier than the assault

Queensland Police have revealed the Queensland man accountable for the deaths of six individuals, and hospitalising 12 others, had been involved with the state’s authorities simply 5 months earlier than Saturday’s assault.

Authorities businesses from Queensland can be co-operation with the investigation led by NSW Police to the circumstances into Joel Cauchi’s horrific stabbing spree on the Bondi Junction Westfield at 3.30pm on Saturday.

Whereas Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe confirmed Cauchi, 40, had by no means been arrested, or charged by Queensland authorities, he mentioned the person’s final contact with police was in December 2023 the place he was avenue checked by police.

This refers to an ‘intelligence gathering report’ the place an officer would possibly report somebody dispalying ‘some type of uncommon habits,’ he mentioned.

Commissioner Cauchi additionally confirmed police had responded to an occasion in ‘early 2023’ involving Cauchi and his household, nonetheless no prices had been laid.

‘That’ll kind topics of investigations however he is by no means been charged with any offense regarding knife or being present in possession of knives in a fashion that is illegal that will warrant prosecution,’ he mentioned.

Commissioner Lowe additionally revealed Cauchi had been recognized with a psychological sickness at 17, nonetheless had ‘remedy through the years,’ earlier than his psychological well being seemingly declined in the previous few years.

Information from Queensland Well being mentioned Cauchi final got here into contact with the general public well being system ‘greater than a decade in the past,’ however had his care ‘transferred to a psychiatrist within the non-public sector in 2012’.

‘He has been involved with the police, primarily within the final 4 to 5 years can be essentially the most contact we have had with him,’ he mentioned.

‘Throughout that contact, we’re conscious that this particular person has suffered from psychological well being.’

Queensland officers have been involved with Cauchi’s household, who’ve been co-operating with police, nonetheless the household have mentioned they weren’t in common contact with the person.

Police mentioned Cauchi was unemployed, and didn’t have a hard and fast handle, and had lived in Brisbane, Kangaroo Level, Carrina, the Gold Coast and together with his household in south Queensland earlier than transferring to Sydney.

‘The final contact with the household was in March to my understanding,’ mentioned Commissioner Lowe.

‘By way of cellphone calls or texts, he would periodically textual content his mom with an replace to the place he was.’

Qld and NSW to work collectively

Giving an replace on Sunday morning, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed Queensland Police will proceed to offer NSW Police with investigations. She mentioned police in each NSW and Queensland had been conscious of him for ‘psychological well being associated points’.

She mentioned NSW investigators would possibly want data from a number of Queensland businesses, comparable to Queensland Well being with a purpose to acquire data.

‘That may imply that we work with the Queensland authorities and different authorities in Queensland,’ she mentioned.

NSW Premier Chris Minns, who returned on Sunday from a household vacation in Japan, additionally mentioned Queensland Premier Steven Miles had agreed to work cooperatively on the investigation.

‘The premier of Queensland has made contact with me and opened up all of the sources of the Queensland authorities for this investigation and it feels like we’ll want it. In order that’s very encouraging data,’ he mentioned.

Mr Minns mentioned the assault had been horrifying and NSW was grieving.

‘We’ll recuperate. It will be a really troublesome few days and people households little doubt have gone by means of hell, however there’s eight million individuals on this state which are behind them,’ he mentioned.

‘Everyone’s grieving on account of this they usually’re not alone.’

He additionally paid credit score to the ‘abnormal members of the general public’ for his or her instinctive bravery, in addition to the actions of paramedics, medical doctors, and the hero cop NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who was the primary officer on the scene and shot Cauchi when he tried to assault her.

Eight devoted psychological well being help officers can be accessible for individuals in Bondi from about 2pm on Sunday, with NSW Well being Minister Ryan Park urging individuals to make use of the companies.

Employees can be uniformed and extremely seen.

‘There can be devoted help officers in place we’re boosting help on our psychological well being care line and we’re offering psychological well being help to these frontline responders,’ he mentioned.

‘I do not need individuals to undergo on account of this tragedy. These are traumatic scenes that will have individuals would have witnessed yesterday each outdoors the centre and contained in the centre and please attain out.’

Ms Webb mentioned police would stay on the large-scale crime scene for a number of days, ‘if not weeks’.

Because of this, Bondi Junction Westfield will stay closed over the subsequent few days, nonetheless vehicles which had been stranded within the car parking zone throughout the preliminary investigation are steadily being moved out.

‘So this can be an lively investigation for a lot of days and maybe weeks whereas we determine not solely the motion of the offender, not simply yesterday, however the hours, the times the weeks, his life, main as much as yesterday and it’ll take a while to work with the households,’ she mentioned.

A household liaison officer has been appointed to each household affected by the assault.