Latest news with #NSWCoronersCourt
The Advertiser
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Psychiatrist breaks down after Bondi attack backflip
A former psychiatrist of the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has broken down in court after withdrawing her previous claim the violence was spurred on by sexual frustration. Joel Cauchi, 40, had armed himself with a knife when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others in April 2024. The Queensland psychiatrist who treated Cauchi for eight years on Wednesday backtracked on evidence that Cauchi's motivation might have been due to "frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women". "It was a conjecture on my part and I should not have said what I said," she told the NSW Coroners Court. "And do you withdraw it?" asked barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC. representing the families of three of Cauchi's victims Ashlee Good, Jade Young and Dawn Singleton. "Yes," the doctor replied. Expert evidence provided to the inquest says Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" during the attack. The officer-in-charge of the police investigation also previously told the coroner that there was no suggestion he had targeted women during the stabbing spree. Diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen, Cauchi had been successfully treated since 2001. But when he shifted from the public to the private system in 2012, he formed a plan with the psychiatrist - who cannot be legally identified - to gradually decrease his dosage. By mid-2019, he was completely off the two antipsychotics he was taking. He became detached from the mental health system entirely in early 2020 after moving to Brisbane at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychiatrist on Wednesday apologised for "being short" with counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC during previous questioning. But she quickly became frustrated by Ms Chrysanthou's grilling, saying the barrister "did not have a degree in medicine" during a barrage of questions about blood tests and levels of antipsychotics. "I have to educate you," she said when asked whether an early warning sign of relapse was a sign of psychosis. "I don't want to be educated," Ms Chrysanthou replied. The pressure of one-and-a-half days of intense questioning, by different lawyers including her own, was apparent by Wednesday afternoon when the psychiatrist was seen in tears in the witness box, holding tissue-filled hands to her face. She earlier denied a connection between Cauchi being taken off antipsychotic drugs and months later developing an obsession with pornography and sex. She also dismissed his wanting to take HIV anti-viral drugs after a single visit to a brothel as a sign of paranoia. Excessive notes left around his house could have been because his obsession with sex and pornography left him in torment from the "religious alien or the Christian alien," she told the court. The doctor also defended her initial assessment of Cauchi in 2012 as having first-episode schizophrenia, despite him exhibiting symptoms in 2001, 2002 and 2008. The diagnosis was not passed on to Cauchi's general practitioner. Despite around 130 consultations with herself, mental health nurses and other psychiatrists from 2015 to 2020 at the clinic, Cauchi had not shown any signs of psychosis, she said. She testified that she never thought his insight was impaired enough to compel him to take antipsychotics. It was "very unfortunate" that neither Cauchi nor his family reconnected with the private clinic to organise further counselling sessions after March 2020, she told the court. The five-week inquest, probing Cauchi's mental health care as well as emergency services' responses to the attack, continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former psychiatrist of the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has broken down in court after withdrawing her previous claim the violence was spurred on by sexual frustration. Joel Cauchi, 40, had armed himself with a knife when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others in April 2024. The Queensland psychiatrist who treated Cauchi for eight years on Wednesday backtracked on evidence that Cauchi's motivation might have been due to "frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women". "It was a conjecture on my part and I should not have said what I said," she told the NSW Coroners Court. "And do you withdraw it?" asked barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC. representing the families of three of Cauchi's victims Ashlee Good, Jade Young and Dawn Singleton. "Yes," the doctor replied. Expert evidence provided to the inquest says Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" during the attack. The officer-in-charge of the police investigation also previously told the coroner that there was no suggestion he had targeted women during the stabbing spree. Diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen, Cauchi had been successfully treated since 2001. But when he shifted from the public to the private system in 2012, he formed a plan with the psychiatrist - who cannot be legally identified - to gradually decrease his dosage. By mid-2019, he was completely off the two antipsychotics he was taking. He became detached from the mental health system entirely in early 2020 after moving to Brisbane at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychiatrist on Wednesday apologised for "being short" with counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC during previous questioning. But she quickly became frustrated by Ms Chrysanthou's grilling, saying the barrister "did not have a degree in medicine" during a barrage of questions about blood tests and levels of antipsychotics. "I have to educate you," she said when asked whether an early warning sign of relapse was a sign of psychosis. "I don't want to be educated," Ms Chrysanthou replied. The pressure of one-and-a-half days of intense questioning, by different lawyers including her own, was apparent by Wednesday afternoon when the psychiatrist was seen in tears in the witness box, holding tissue-filled hands to her face. She earlier denied a connection between Cauchi being taken off antipsychotic drugs and months later developing an obsession with pornography and sex. She also dismissed his wanting to take HIV anti-viral drugs after a single visit to a brothel as a sign of paranoia. Excessive notes left around his house could have been because his obsession with sex and pornography left him in torment from the "religious alien or the Christian alien," she told the court. The doctor also defended her initial assessment of Cauchi in 2012 as having first-episode schizophrenia, despite him exhibiting symptoms in 2001, 2002 and 2008. The diagnosis was not passed on to Cauchi's general practitioner. Despite around 130 consultations with herself, mental health nurses and other psychiatrists from 2015 to 2020 at the clinic, Cauchi had not shown any signs of psychosis, she said. She testified that she never thought his insight was impaired enough to compel him to take antipsychotics. It was "very unfortunate" that neither Cauchi nor his family reconnected with the private clinic to organise further counselling sessions after March 2020, she told the court. The five-week inquest, probing Cauchi's mental health care as well as emergency services' responses to the attack, continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former psychiatrist of the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has broken down in court after withdrawing her previous claim the violence was spurred on by sexual frustration. Joel Cauchi, 40, had armed himself with a knife when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others in April 2024. The Queensland psychiatrist who treated Cauchi for eight years on Wednesday backtracked on evidence that Cauchi's motivation might have been due to "frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women". "It was a conjecture on my part and I should not have said what I said," she told the NSW Coroners Court. "And do you withdraw it?" asked barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC. representing the families of three of Cauchi's victims Ashlee Good, Jade Young and Dawn Singleton. "Yes," the doctor replied. Expert evidence provided to the inquest says Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" during the attack. The officer-in-charge of the police investigation also previously told the coroner that there was no suggestion he had targeted women during the stabbing spree. Diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen, Cauchi had been successfully treated since 2001. But when he shifted from the public to the private system in 2012, he formed a plan with the psychiatrist - who cannot be legally identified - to gradually decrease his dosage. By mid-2019, he was completely off the two antipsychotics he was taking. He became detached from the mental health system entirely in early 2020 after moving to Brisbane at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychiatrist on Wednesday apologised for "being short" with counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC during previous questioning. But she quickly became frustrated by Ms Chrysanthou's grilling, saying the barrister "did not have a degree in medicine" during a barrage of questions about blood tests and levels of antipsychotics. "I have to educate you," she said when asked whether an early warning sign of relapse was a sign of psychosis. "I don't want to be educated," Ms Chrysanthou replied. The pressure of one-and-a-half days of intense questioning, by different lawyers including her own, was apparent by Wednesday afternoon when the psychiatrist was seen in tears in the witness box, holding tissue-filled hands to her face. She earlier denied a connection between Cauchi being taken off antipsychotic drugs and months later developing an obsession with pornography and sex. She also dismissed his wanting to take HIV anti-viral drugs after a single visit to a brothel as a sign of paranoia. Excessive notes left around his house could have been because his obsession with sex and pornography left him in torment from the "religious alien or the Christian alien," she told the court. The doctor also defended her initial assessment of Cauchi in 2012 as having first-episode schizophrenia, despite him exhibiting symptoms in 2001, 2002 and 2008. The diagnosis was not passed on to Cauchi's general practitioner. Despite around 130 consultations with herself, mental health nurses and other psychiatrists from 2015 to 2020 at the clinic, Cauchi had not shown any signs of psychosis, she said. She testified that she never thought his insight was impaired enough to compel him to take antipsychotics. It was "very unfortunate" that neither Cauchi nor his family reconnected with the private clinic to organise further counselling sessions after March 2020, she told the court. The five-week inquest, probing Cauchi's mental health care as well as emergency services' responses to the attack, continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former psychiatrist of the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has broken down in court after withdrawing her previous claim the violence was spurred on by sexual frustration. Joel Cauchi, 40, had armed himself with a knife when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others in April 2024. The Queensland psychiatrist who treated Cauchi for eight years on Wednesday backtracked on evidence that Cauchi's motivation might have been due to "frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women". "It was a conjecture on my part and I should not have said what I said," she told the NSW Coroners Court. "And do you withdraw it?" asked barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC. representing the families of three of Cauchi's victims Ashlee Good, Jade Young and Dawn Singleton. "Yes," the doctor replied. Expert evidence provided to the inquest says Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" during the attack. The officer-in-charge of the police investigation also previously told the coroner that there was no suggestion he had targeted women during the stabbing spree. Diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen, Cauchi had been successfully treated since 2001. But when he shifted from the public to the private system in 2012, he formed a plan with the psychiatrist - who cannot be legally identified - to gradually decrease his dosage. By mid-2019, he was completely off the two antipsychotics he was taking. He became detached from the mental health system entirely in early 2020 after moving to Brisbane at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychiatrist on Wednesday apologised for "being short" with counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC during previous questioning. But she quickly became frustrated by Ms Chrysanthou's grilling, saying the barrister "did not have a degree in medicine" during a barrage of questions about blood tests and levels of antipsychotics. "I have to educate you," she said when asked whether an early warning sign of relapse was a sign of psychosis. "I don't want to be educated," Ms Chrysanthou replied. The pressure of one-and-a-half days of intense questioning, by different lawyers including her own, was apparent by Wednesday afternoon when the psychiatrist was seen in tears in the witness box, holding tissue-filled hands to her face. She earlier denied a connection between Cauchi being taken off antipsychotic drugs and months later developing an obsession with pornography and sex. She also dismissed his wanting to take HIV anti-viral drugs after a single visit to a brothel as a sign of paranoia. Excessive notes left around his house could have been because his obsession with sex and pornography left him in torment from the "religious alien or the Christian alien," she told the court. The doctor also defended her initial assessment of Cauchi in 2012 as having first-episode schizophrenia, despite him exhibiting symptoms in 2001, 2002 and 2008. The diagnosis was not passed on to Cauchi's general practitioner. Despite around 130 consultations with herself, mental health nurses and other psychiatrists from 2015 to 2020 at the clinic, Cauchi had not shown any signs of psychosis, she said. She testified that she never thought his insight was impaired enough to compel him to take antipsychotics. It was "very unfortunate" that neither Cauchi nor his family reconnected with the private clinic to organise further counselling sessions after March 2020, she told the court. The five-week inquest, probing Cauchi's mental health care as well as emergency services' responses to the attack, continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
The Advertiser
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Psychiatrist's major backflip on Bondi attack diagnosis
A former psychiatrist of the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has backflipped on a previous statement that the violence was spurred on by sexual frustration. Joel Cauchi, 40, had armed himself with a knife when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others in April 2024. The Queensland psychiatrist who treated Cauchi for eight years gave her opinion on the motivation behind the attack at an inquest on Tuesday. "It might have been to do with frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women," she said. However, she reversed this evidence when she returned to the witness box on Wednesday. "It was a conjecture on my part and I should not have said what I said," she told the NSW Coroners Court. "And do you withdraw it?" asked barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC. representing the families of three of Cauchi's victims Ashlee Good, Jade Young and Dawn Singleton. "Yes," the doctor replied. Expert evidence provided to the inquest says Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" during the attack. The officer-in-charge of the police investigation also previously told the coroner that there was no suggestion he had targeted women during the stabbing spree. Diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen, Cauchi had been successfully treated and remained compliant with taking his anti-psychotic medication. But when he shifted from the public to the private system, he formed a plan with the psychiatrist - who cannot be legally identified - to gradually decrease his dosage. By mid-2019, he was completely off the two antipsychotics he was taking. He became detached from the mental health system entirely in early 2020 after moving to Brisbane right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychiatrist on Wednesday apologised for "being short" with counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC during questioning on Tuesday. "I'm suffering from acute pain, I'm on medication, I was late for my flight," she said. But she quickly became frustrated by Ms Chrysanthou's grilling, saying the barrister "did not have a degree in medicine" during a barrage of questions about blood tests and levels of antipsychotics. "I have to educate you," she said when asked whether an early warning sign of relapse was actually a sign of psychosis. "I don't want to be educated," Ms Chrysanthou replied. The psychiatrist denied a connection between Cauchi being taken off antipsychotic drugs and months later developing an obsession with pornography and sex. She also dismissed his wanting to take HIV anti-viral drugs after a single visit to a brothel as a sign of paranoia. The doctor also defended her initial assessment of Cauchi in 2012 as having first-episode schizophrenia, despite him exhibiting symptoms in 2001, 2002 and 2008. She, however, conceded she had not passed on her diagnosis to Cauchi's GP. The court was told this differed from her earlier claims that she had a detailed conversation with the GP when she discharged Cauchi in March 2020. No records of a phone call existed, and the first suggestion about the claimed conversation appeared in the psychiatrist's second statement to police in 2025. A discharge letter to the doctor, shown to the court, told him that Cauchi needed a referral to an alternative psychiatrist "if required" and did not list any details about what treatment he'd received. "I was satisfied that I did the right thing," the psychiatrist told the court. The five-week inquest, probing Cauchi's mental health care as well as emergency services' responses to the attack, continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former psychiatrist of the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has backflipped on a previous statement that the violence was spurred on by sexual frustration. Joel Cauchi, 40, had armed himself with a knife when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others in April 2024. The Queensland psychiatrist who treated Cauchi for eight years gave her opinion on the motivation behind the attack at an inquest on Tuesday. "It might have been to do with frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women," she said. However, she reversed this evidence when she returned to the witness box on Wednesday. "It was a conjecture on my part and I should not have said what I said," she told the NSW Coroners Court. "And do you withdraw it?" asked barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC. representing the families of three of Cauchi's victims Ashlee Good, Jade Young and Dawn Singleton. "Yes," the doctor replied. Expert evidence provided to the inquest says Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" during the attack. The officer-in-charge of the police investigation also previously told the coroner that there was no suggestion he had targeted women during the stabbing spree. Diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen, Cauchi had been successfully treated and remained compliant with taking his anti-psychotic medication. But when he shifted from the public to the private system, he formed a plan with the psychiatrist - who cannot be legally identified - to gradually decrease his dosage. By mid-2019, he was completely off the two antipsychotics he was taking. He became detached from the mental health system entirely in early 2020 after moving to Brisbane right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychiatrist on Wednesday apologised for "being short" with counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC during questioning on Tuesday. "I'm suffering from acute pain, I'm on medication, I was late for my flight," she said. But she quickly became frustrated by Ms Chrysanthou's grilling, saying the barrister "did not have a degree in medicine" during a barrage of questions about blood tests and levels of antipsychotics. "I have to educate you," she said when asked whether an early warning sign of relapse was actually a sign of psychosis. "I don't want to be educated," Ms Chrysanthou replied. The psychiatrist denied a connection between Cauchi being taken off antipsychotic drugs and months later developing an obsession with pornography and sex. She also dismissed his wanting to take HIV anti-viral drugs after a single visit to a brothel as a sign of paranoia. The doctor also defended her initial assessment of Cauchi in 2012 as having first-episode schizophrenia, despite him exhibiting symptoms in 2001, 2002 and 2008. She, however, conceded she had not passed on her diagnosis to Cauchi's GP. The court was told this differed from her earlier claims that she had a detailed conversation with the GP when she discharged Cauchi in March 2020. No records of a phone call existed, and the first suggestion about the claimed conversation appeared in the psychiatrist's second statement to police in 2025. A discharge letter to the doctor, shown to the court, told him that Cauchi needed a referral to an alternative psychiatrist "if required" and did not list any details about what treatment he'd received. "I was satisfied that I did the right thing," the psychiatrist told the court. The five-week inquest, probing Cauchi's mental health care as well as emergency services' responses to the attack, continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former psychiatrist of the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has backflipped on a previous statement that the violence was spurred on by sexual frustration. Joel Cauchi, 40, had armed himself with a knife when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others in April 2024. The Queensland psychiatrist who treated Cauchi for eight years gave her opinion on the motivation behind the attack at an inquest on Tuesday. "It might have been to do with frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women," she said. However, she reversed this evidence when she returned to the witness box on Wednesday. "It was a conjecture on my part and I should not have said what I said," she told the NSW Coroners Court. "And do you withdraw it?" asked barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC. representing the families of three of Cauchi's victims Ashlee Good, Jade Young and Dawn Singleton. "Yes," the doctor replied. Expert evidence provided to the inquest says Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" during the attack. The officer-in-charge of the police investigation also previously told the coroner that there was no suggestion he had targeted women during the stabbing spree. Diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen, Cauchi had been successfully treated and remained compliant with taking his anti-psychotic medication. But when he shifted from the public to the private system, he formed a plan with the psychiatrist - who cannot be legally identified - to gradually decrease his dosage. By mid-2019, he was completely off the two antipsychotics he was taking. He became detached from the mental health system entirely in early 2020 after moving to Brisbane right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychiatrist on Wednesday apologised for "being short" with counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC during questioning on Tuesday. "I'm suffering from acute pain, I'm on medication, I was late for my flight," she said. But she quickly became frustrated by Ms Chrysanthou's grilling, saying the barrister "did not have a degree in medicine" during a barrage of questions about blood tests and levels of antipsychotics. "I have to educate you," she said when asked whether an early warning sign of relapse was actually a sign of psychosis. "I don't want to be educated," Ms Chrysanthou replied. The psychiatrist denied a connection between Cauchi being taken off antipsychotic drugs and months later developing an obsession with pornography and sex. She also dismissed his wanting to take HIV anti-viral drugs after a single visit to a brothel as a sign of paranoia. The doctor also defended her initial assessment of Cauchi in 2012 as having first-episode schizophrenia, despite him exhibiting symptoms in 2001, 2002 and 2008. She, however, conceded she had not passed on her diagnosis to Cauchi's GP. The court was told this differed from her earlier claims that she had a detailed conversation with the GP when she discharged Cauchi in March 2020. No records of a phone call existed, and the first suggestion about the claimed conversation appeared in the psychiatrist's second statement to police in 2025. A discharge letter to the doctor, shown to the court, told him that Cauchi needed a referral to an alternative psychiatrist "if required" and did not list any details about what treatment he'd received. "I was satisfied that I did the right thing," the psychiatrist told the court. The five-week inquest, probing Cauchi's mental health care as well as emergency services' responses to the attack, continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A former psychiatrist of the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has backflipped on a previous statement that the violence was spurred on by sexual frustration. Joel Cauchi, 40, had armed himself with a knife when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others in April 2024. The Queensland psychiatrist who treated Cauchi for eight years gave her opinion on the motivation behind the attack at an inquest on Tuesday. "It might have been to do with frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women," she said. However, she reversed this evidence when she returned to the witness box on Wednesday. "It was a conjecture on my part and I should not have said what I said," she told the NSW Coroners Court. "And do you withdraw it?" asked barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC. representing the families of three of Cauchi's victims Ashlee Good, Jade Young and Dawn Singleton. "Yes," the doctor replied. Expert evidence provided to the inquest says Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" during the attack. The officer-in-charge of the police investigation also previously told the coroner that there was no suggestion he had targeted women during the stabbing spree. Diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen, Cauchi had been successfully treated and remained compliant with taking his anti-psychotic medication. But when he shifted from the public to the private system, he formed a plan with the psychiatrist - who cannot be legally identified - to gradually decrease his dosage. By mid-2019, he was completely off the two antipsychotics he was taking. He became detached from the mental health system entirely in early 2020 after moving to Brisbane right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychiatrist on Wednesday apologised for "being short" with counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC during questioning on Tuesday. "I'm suffering from acute pain, I'm on medication, I was late for my flight," she said. But she quickly became frustrated by Ms Chrysanthou's grilling, saying the barrister "did not have a degree in medicine" during a barrage of questions about blood tests and levels of antipsychotics. "I have to educate you," she said when asked whether an early warning sign of relapse was actually a sign of psychosis. "I don't want to be educated," Ms Chrysanthou replied. The psychiatrist denied a connection between Cauchi being taken off antipsychotic drugs and months later developing an obsession with pornography and sex. She also dismissed his wanting to take HIV anti-viral drugs after a single visit to a brothel as a sign of paranoia. The doctor also defended her initial assessment of Cauchi in 2012 as having first-episode schizophrenia, despite him exhibiting symptoms in 2001, 2002 and 2008. She, however, conceded she had not passed on her diagnosis to Cauchi's GP. The court was told this differed from her earlier claims that she had a detailed conversation with the GP when she discharged Cauchi in March 2020. No records of a phone call existed, and the first suggestion about the claimed conversation appeared in the psychiatrist's second statement to police in 2025. A discharge letter to the doctor, shown to the court, told him that Cauchi needed a referral to an alternative psychiatrist "if required" and did not list any details about what treatment he'd received. "I was satisfied that I did the right thing," the psychiatrist told the court. The five-week inquest, probing Cauchi's mental health care as well as emergency services' responses to the attack, continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Psychiatrist claims 'no error' in treating mall killer
A psychiatrist who treated the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has denied any failings despite weaning him off antipsychotics years before the killings. Joel Cauchi, 40, armed himself with a pigging knife in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. A psychiatrist who had treated him in Queensland testified at an inquest into the tragedy on Tuesday, saying Cauchi had never been psychotic after she helped him stop his medication in mid-2019. "What would you say to the suggestion that you refuse to accept that Joel was psychotic on the 13th of April (2024) because you don't want to accept yourself the failings in your care of Joel?" counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC asked. "I did not fail in the care of Joel. I refuse - I have no error on my behalf," the psychiatrist said. After Cauchi was weaned off two antipsychotic drugs in July 2019, his mother contacted the psychiatrist's private clinic seven times raising concerns about possible signs of relapse. This included that he was leaving notes around the house about Satanic control, experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder and was not sleeping well. Cauchi also sent an email saying that he had developed an obsession with pornography, the NSW Coroners Court was told. The psychiatrist - who cannot be legally named - said these were viewed as possible signs of a early relapse but later assessments found that he was not psychotic. Cauchi was having trouble sleeping because he was up watching pornography, she said. His other symptoms stemmed from stressors including a fear he had caught an STD after sleeping with a prostitute, the coroner heard. Expert psychiatric evidence filed in the inquest has said Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" at the time of the Bondi Junction attack. However, the psychiatrist also rejected this. She said Cauchi could not have organised the stabbing spree if he was experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia as this was something he was mentally unable to do. "It might have been to do with frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women," she said. "That is my opinion." Earlier in the inquest, the officer-in-charge of the police investigation Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Marks said Cauchi did not appear to be targeting women during the attack. On Tuesday, the psychiatrist told the court there would not be any difference if Cauchi had taken antipsychotic medication after July 2019. She testified she had never seen Joel "acutely unwell" nor any signs of "any relapse (or) any issues of safety". The psychiatrist grew irritated with Dr Dwyer's questions around her initial diagnosis of Cauchi in 2012, telling her to "move on". She insisted she believed he had first-episode schizophrenia, rather than chronic schizophrenia, because he had remained symptom-free while medicated. But a 2012 letter discharging Cauchi from the public system - which was shown to the court - appeared to contradict this. "It appears that Joel may appear to experience some positive symptoms with fluctuating severity," it read. "However Joel denies such symptoms." Discharging Cauchi to his Toowoomba general practitioner after he relocated to Brisbane, the psychiatrist said there was nothing she could do to follow up. Dr Dwyer suggested she could have made a phone call. "You could have done that, you just couldn't charge for it," Dr Dwyer said. The psychiatrist accepted this. She earlier issued a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and those affected by the attacks. Her life and health had also been personally impacted by the incident, she said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane when he was completely cut off from psychiatric care. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues on Wednesday. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A psychiatrist who treated the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has denied any failings despite weaning him off antipsychotics years before the killings. Joel Cauchi, 40, armed himself with a pigging knife in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. A psychiatrist who had treated him in Queensland testified at an inquest into the tragedy on Tuesday, saying Cauchi had never been psychotic after she helped him stop his medication in mid-2019. "What would you say to the suggestion that you refuse to accept that Joel was psychotic on the 13th of April (2024) because you don't want to accept yourself the failings in your care of Joel?" counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC asked. "I did not fail in the care of Joel. I refuse - I have no error on my behalf," the psychiatrist said. After Cauchi was weaned off two antipsychotic drugs in July 2019, his mother contacted the psychiatrist's private clinic seven times raising concerns about possible signs of relapse. This included that he was leaving notes around the house about Satanic control, experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder and was not sleeping well. Cauchi also sent an email saying that he had developed an obsession with pornography, the NSW Coroners Court was told. The psychiatrist - who cannot be legally named - said these were viewed as possible signs of a early relapse but later assessments found that he was not psychotic. Cauchi was having trouble sleeping because he was up watching pornography, she said. His other symptoms stemmed from stressors including a fear he had caught an STD after sleeping with a prostitute, the coroner heard. Expert psychiatric evidence filed in the inquest has said Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" at the time of the Bondi Junction attack. However, the psychiatrist also rejected this. She said Cauchi could not have organised the stabbing spree if he was experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia as this was something he was mentally unable to do. "It might have been to do with frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women," she said. "That is my opinion." Earlier in the inquest, the officer-in-charge of the police investigation Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Marks said Cauchi did not appear to be targeting women during the attack. On Tuesday, the psychiatrist told the court there would not be any difference if Cauchi had taken antipsychotic medication after July 2019. She testified she had never seen Joel "acutely unwell" nor any signs of "any relapse (or) any issues of safety". The psychiatrist grew irritated with Dr Dwyer's questions around her initial diagnosis of Cauchi in 2012, telling her to "move on". She insisted she believed he had first-episode schizophrenia, rather than chronic schizophrenia, because he had remained symptom-free while medicated. But a 2012 letter discharging Cauchi from the public system - which was shown to the court - appeared to contradict this. "It appears that Joel may appear to experience some positive symptoms with fluctuating severity," it read. "However Joel denies such symptoms." Discharging Cauchi to his Toowoomba general practitioner after he relocated to Brisbane, the psychiatrist said there was nothing she could do to follow up. Dr Dwyer suggested she could have made a phone call. "You could have done that, you just couldn't charge for it," Dr Dwyer said. The psychiatrist accepted this. She earlier issued a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and those affected by the attacks. Her life and health had also been personally impacted by the incident, she said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane when he was completely cut off from psychiatric care. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues on Wednesday. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A psychiatrist who treated the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has denied any failings despite weaning him off antipsychotics years before the killings. Joel Cauchi, 40, armed himself with a pigging knife in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. A psychiatrist who had treated him in Queensland testified at an inquest into the tragedy on Tuesday, saying Cauchi had never been psychotic after she helped him stop his medication in mid-2019. "What would you say to the suggestion that you refuse to accept that Joel was psychotic on the 13th of April (2024) because you don't want to accept yourself the failings in your care of Joel?" counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC asked. "I did not fail in the care of Joel. I refuse - I have no error on my behalf," the psychiatrist said. After Cauchi was weaned off two antipsychotic drugs in July 2019, his mother contacted the psychiatrist's private clinic seven times raising concerns about possible signs of relapse. This included that he was leaving notes around the house about Satanic control, experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder and was not sleeping well. Cauchi also sent an email saying that he had developed an obsession with pornography, the NSW Coroners Court was told. The psychiatrist - who cannot be legally named - said these were viewed as possible signs of a early relapse but later assessments found that he was not psychotic. Cauchi was having trouble sleeping because he was up watching pornography, she said. His other symptoms stemmed from stressors including a fear he had caught an STD after sleeping with a prostitute, the coroner heard. Expert psychiatric evidence filed in the inquest has said Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" at the time of the Bondi Junction attack. However, the psychiatrist also rejected this. She said Cauchi could not have organised the stabbing spree if he was experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia as this was something he was mentally unable to do. "It might have been to do with frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women," she said. "That is my opinion." Earlier in the inquest, the officer-in-charge of the police investigation Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Marks said Cauchi did not appear to be targeting women during the attack. On Tuesday, the psychiatrist told the court there would not be any difference if Cauchi had taken antipsychotic medication after July 2019. She testified she had never seen Joel "acutely unwell" nor any signs of "any relapse (or) any issues of safety". The psychiatrist grew irritated with Dr Dwyer's questions around her initial diagnosis of Cauchi in 2012, telling her to "move on". She insisted she believed he had first-episode schizophrenia, rather than chronic schizophrenia, because he had remained symptom-free while medicated. But a 2012 letter discharging Cauchi from the public system - which was shown to the court - appeared to contradict this. "It appears that Joel may appear to experience some positive symptoms with fluctuating severity," it read. "However Joel denies such symptoms." Discharging Cauchi to his Toowoomba general practitioner after he relocated to Brisbane, the psychiatrist said there was nothing she could do to follow up. Dr Dwyer suggested she could have made a phone call. "You could have done that, you just couldn't charge for it," Dr Dwyer said. The psychiatrist accepted this. She earlier issued a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and those affected by the attacks. Her life and health had also been personally impacted by the incident, she said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane when he was completely cut off from psychiatric care. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues on Wednesday. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A psychiatrist who treated the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker has denied any failings despite weaning him off antipsychotics years before the killings. Joel Cauchi, 40, armed himself with a pigging knife in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. A psychiatrist who had treated him in Queensland testified at an inquest into the tragedy on Tuesday, saying Cauchi had never been psychotic after she helped him stop his medication in mid-2019. "What would you say to the suggestion that you refuse to accept that Joel was psychotic on the 13th of April (2024) because you don't want to accept yourself the failings in your care of Joel?" counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC asked. "I did not fail in the care of Joel. I refuse - I have no error on my behalf," the psychiatrist said. After Cauchi was weaned off two antipsychotic drugs in July 2019, his mother contacted the psychiatrist's private clinic seven times raising concerns about possible signs of relapse. This included that he was leaving notes around the house about Satanic control, experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder and was not sleeping well. Cauchi also sent an email saying that he had developed an obsession with pornography, the NSW Coroners Court was told. The psychiatrist - who cannot be legally named - said these were viewed as possible signs of a early relapse but later assessments found that he was not psychotic. Cauchi was having trouble sleeping because he was up watching pornography, she said. His other symptoms stemmed from stressors including a fear he had caught an STD after sleeping with a prostitute, the coroner heard. Expert psychiatric evidence filed in the inquest has said Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" at the time of the Bondi Junction attack. However, the psychiatrist also rejected this. She said Cauchi could not have organised the stabbing spree if he was experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia as this was something he was mentally unable to do. "It might have been to do with frustration, sexual frustration, pornography and hatred towards women," she said. "That is my opinion." Earlier in the inquest, the officer-in-charge of the police investigation Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Marks said Cauchi did not appear to be targeting women during the attack. On Tuesday, the psychiatrist told the court there would not be any difference if Cauchi had taken antipsychotic medication after July 2019. She testified she had never seen Joel "acutely unwell" nor any signs of "any relapse (or) any issues of safety". The psychiatrist grew irritated with Dr Dwyer's questions around her initial diagnosis of Cauchi in 2012, telling her to "move on". She insisted she believed he had first-episode schizophrenia, rather than chronic schizophrenia, because he had remained symptom-free while medicated. But a 2012 letter discharging Cauchi from the public system - which was shown to the court - appeared to contradict this. "It appears that Joel may appear to experience some positive symptoms with fluctuating severity," it read. "However Joel denies such symptoms." Discharging Cauchi to his Toowoomba general practitioner after he relocated to Brisbane, the psychiatrist said there was nothing she could do to follow up. Dr Dwyer suggested she could have made a phone call. "You could have done that, you just couldn't charge for it," Dr Dwyer said. The psychiatrist accepted this. She earlier issued a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and those affected by the attacks. Her life and health had also been personally impacted by the incident, she said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane when he was completely cut off from psychiatric care. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues on Wednesday. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Bondi mass killer's psychiatrist 'never saw him unwell'
A psychiatrist who treated the Bondi Junction mass killer before his stabbing rampage says she never saw him unwell or posing a danger. Joel Cauchi, 40, was experiencing psychotic symptoms in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. As an inquest into the rampage continued on Tuesday, the Queensland psychiatrist said she had not seen any danger signs in the eight years she had treated him. "You had never seen Joel acutely unwell, had you?" counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC asked. "He never showed any signs of positive symptoms, never showed signs of any relapse and never showed any issues of safety," the psychiatrist told the NSW Coroners Court. Cauchi also did not show any fascination with weapons, she added. When police seized his phone after the attacks, they found numerous disturbing web searches including for assault rifles and mass stabbings. He had previously called police to his parents' Toowoomba home after his father took his knife collection in 2023. The psychiatrist - who cannot be legally named - earlier issued a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and those affected by the attacks. Her life and health had also been personally impacted by the incident, she said. "I offer my sincere apologies to you that this tragedy has happened," she said. "I am aware that no words will ease the profound pain and suffering." The inquest was told the doctor decided to wean Cauchi off his medications soon after he was transferred to her private clinic from the public system in 2012. She gradually adjusted the dosage of his anti-psychotics down every few months, aiming to reach a level where any negative side effects disappeared. By July 2019, he was completely off his medication - beyond the doctor's initial expectations. When she first assessed Cauchi, she listed his "over-religious" father's symptoms of schizophrenia as a vulnerability because the son's condition was "definitely genetic". But she told the court that Cauchi was loved and accepted by his family who was a major stabilising factor in his life. Months after he stopped taking his medication, Cauchi's mother raised concerns about her son's worsening symptoms, the inquest was told on Monday. His mother told them he was hearing voices, expressing sleeplessness, and experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cauchi's father, however, was "adamant" about his son not resuming anti-psychotics and said "he himself had been traumatised by demons when awake and hears voices and is not on medication," a nurse's note read to the coroner said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane when he was completely cut off from psychiatric care. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A psychiatrist who treated the Bondi Junction mass killer before his stabbing rampage says she never saw him unwell or posing a danger. Joel Cauchi, 40, was experiencing psychotic symptoms in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. As an inquest into the rampage continued on Tuesday, the Queensland psychiatrist said she had not seen any danger signs in the eight years she had treated him. "You had never seen Joel acutely unwell, had you?" counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC asked. "He never showed any signs of positive symptoms, never showed signs of any relapse and never showed any issues of safety," the psychiatrist told the NSW Coroners Court. Cauchi also did not show any fascination with weapons, she added. When police seized his phone after the attacks, they found numerous disturbing web searches including for assault rifles and mass stabbings. He had previously called police to his parents' Toowoomba home after his father took his knife collection in 2023. The psychiatrist - who cannot be legally named - earlier issued a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and those affected by the attacks. Her life and health had also been personally impacted by the incident, she said. "I offer my sincere apologies to you that this tragedy has happened," she said. "I am aware that no words will ease the profound pain and suffering." The inquest was told the doctor decided to wean Cauchi off his medications soon after he was transferred to her private clinic from the public system in 2012. She gradually adjusted the dosage of his anti-psychotics down every few months, aiming to reach a level where any negative side effects disappeared. By July 2019, he was completely off his medication - beyond the doctor's initial expectations. When she first assessed Cauchi, she listed his "over-religious" father's symptoms of schizophrenia as a vulnerability because the son's condition was "definitely genetic". But she told the court that Cauchi was loved and accepted by his family who was a major stabilising factor in his life. Months after he stopped taking his medication, Cauchi's mother raised concerns about her son's worsening symptoms, the inquest was told on Monday. His mother told them he was hearing voices, expressing sleeplessness, and experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cauchi's father, however, was "adamant" about his son not resuming anti-psychotics and said "he himself had been traumatised by demons when awake and hears voices and is not on medication," a nurse's note read to the coroner said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane when he was completely cut off from psychiatric care. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A psychiatrist who treated the Bondi Junction mass killer before his stabbing rampage says she never saw him unwell or posing a danger. Joel Cauchi, 40, was experiencing psychotic symptoms in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. As an inquest into the rampage continued on Tuesday, the Queensland psychiatrist said she had not seen any danger signs in the eight years she had treated him. "You had never seen Joel acutely unwell, had you?" counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC asked. "He never showed any signs of positive symptoms, never showed signs of any relapse and never showed any issues of safety," the psychiatrist told the NSW Coroners Court. Cauchi also did not show any fascination with weapons, she added. When police seized his phone after the attacks, they found numerous disturbing web searches including for assault rifles and mass stabbings. He had previously called police to his parents' Toowoomba home after his father took his knife collection in 2023. The psychiatrist - who cannot be legally named - earlier issued a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and those affected by the attacks. Her life and health had also been personally impacted by the incident, she said. "I offer my sincere apologies to you that this tragedy has happened," she said. "I am aware that no words will ease the profound pain and suffering." The inquest was told the doctor decided to wean Cauchi off his medications soon after he was transferred to her private clinic from the public system in 2012. She gradually adjusted the dosage of his anti-psychotics down every few months, aiming to reach a level where any negative side effects disappeared. By July 2019, he was completely off his medication - beyond the doctor's initial expectations. When she first assessed Cauchi, she listed his "over-religious" father's symptoms of schizophrenia as a vulnerability because the son's condition was "definitely genetic". But she told the court that Cauchi was loved and accepted by his family who was a major stabilising factor in his life. Months after he stopped taking his medication, Cauchi's mother raised concerns about her son's worsening symptoms, the inquest was told on Monday. His mother told them he was hearing voices, expressing sleeplessness, and experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cauchi's father, however, was "adamant" about his son not resuming anti-psychotics and said "he himself had been traumatised by demons when awake and hears voices and is not on medication," a nurse's note read to the coroner said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane when he was completely cut off from psychiatric care. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A psychiatrist who treated the Bondi Junction mass killer before his stabbing rampage says she never saw him unwell or posing a danger. Joel Cauchi, 40, was experiencing psychotic symptoms in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. As an inquest into the rampage continued on Tuesday, the Queensland psychiatrist said she had not seen any danger signs in the eight years she had treated him. "You had never seen Joel acutely unwell, had you?" counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC asked. "He never showed any signs of positive symptoms, never showed signs of any relapse and never showed any issues of safety," the psychiatrist told the NSW Coroners Court. Cauchi also did not show any fascination with weapons, she added. When police seized his phone after the attacks, they found numerous disturbing web searches including for assault rifles and mass stabbings. He had previously called police to his parents' Toowoomba home after his father took his knife collection in 2023. The psychiatrist - who cannot be legally named - earlier issued a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and those affected by the attacks. Her life and health had also been personally impacted by the incident, she said. "I offer my sincere apologies to you that this tragedy has happened," she said. "I am aware that no words will ease the profound pain and suffering." The inquest was told the doctor decided to wean Cauchi off his medications soon after he was transferred to her private clinic from the public system in 2012. She gradually adjusted the dosage of his anti-psychotics down every few months, aiming to reach a level where any negative side effects disappeared. By July 2019, he was completely off his medication - beyond the doctor's initial expectations. When she first assessed Cauchi, she listed his "over-religious" father's symptoms of schizophrenia as a vulnerability because the son's condition was "definitely genetic". But she told the court that Cauchi was loved and accepted by his family who was a major stabilising factor in his life. Months after he stopped taking his medication, Cauchi's mother raised concerns about her son's worsening symptoms, the inquest was told on Monday. His mother told them he was hearing voices, expressing sleeplessness, and experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cauchi's father, however, was "adamant" about his son not resuming anti-psychotics and said "he himself had been traumatised by demons when awake and hears voices and is not on medication," a nurse's note read to the coroner said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane when he was completely cut off from psychiatric care. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Mall killer's psychiatrist makes emotional apology
The psychiatrist who stopped Joel Cauchi's medication years before he carried out a deadly mall attack has apologised to his victims. Cauchi, 40, was experiencing psychotic symptoms in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. As an inquest into the rampage resumed on Tuesday, the Queensland psychiatrist started her evidence by issuing a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and everyone affected. "I offer my sincere apologies to you that this tragedy has happened," she said. "I am aware that no words will ease the profound pain and suffering." She told the NSW Coroners Court that she had been personally affected by the attacks, which had impacted her life and health. "No psychiatrist in the world would wish on themselves for this trauma to happen," she said. Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC will ask the doctor, who cannot be legally identified, about her treatment of Cauchi. This will include a decision to stop his anti-psychotics in 2019 and what could have been done after Cauchi's mother later raised concerns about a decline in her son's mental health. Cauchi's mother first raised concerns about her son's worsening symptoms three months after he was weaned off the medication, the inquest was told on Monday. While he presented well afterwards, potential signs of relapse surfaced, a treating nurse said. Cauchi's father, however, was "adamant" about his son not resuming anti-psychotics and said "he himself had been traumatised by demons when awake and hears voices and is not on medication," a nurse's note read to the coroner said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. Two nurses have already given evidence about Cauchi's treatment, and both have said he did not present with any serious symptoms during appointments. His mother told them he was hearing voices, expressing sleeplessness, and experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder. While the nurses did initial consultations with Cauchi and sometimes his family, it was the psychiatrist who ultimately prescribed his medication and formed a treatment plan. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane. While some attempt was made to arrange remote appointments, these were not covered by Medicare, the inquest has been told. A referral letter was sent to Cauchi's GP, but no follow-up was organised with mental health services in Brisbane. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 The psychiatrist who stopped Joel Cauchi's medication years before he carried out a deadly mall attack has apologised to his victims. Cauchi, 40, was experiencing psychotic symptoms in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. As an inquest into the rampage resumed on Tuesday, the Queensland psychiatrist started her evidence by issuing a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and everyone affected. "I offer my sincere apologies to you that this tragedy has happened," she said. "I am aware that no words will ease the profound pain and suffering." She told the NSW Coroners Court that she had been personally affected by the attacks, which had impacted her life and health. "No psychiatrist in the world would wish on themselves for this trauma to happen," she said. Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC will ask the doctor, who cannot be legally identified, about her treatment of Cauchi. This will include a decision to stop his anti-psychotics in 2019 and what could have been done after Cauchi's mother later raised concerns about a decline in her son's mental health. Cauchi's mother first raised concerns about her son's worsening symptoms three months after he was weaned off the medication, the inquest was told on Monday. While he presented well afterwards, potential signs of relapse surfaced, a treating nurse said. Cauchi's father, however, was "adamant" about his son not resuming anti-psychotics and said "he himself had been traumatised by demons when awake and hears voices and is not on medication," a nurse's note read to the coroner said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. Two nurses have already given evidence about Cauchi's treatment, and both have said he did not present with any serious symptoms during appointments. His mother told them he was hearing voices, expressing sleeplessness, and experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder. While the nurses did initial consultations with Cauchi and sometimes his family, it was the psychiatrist who ultimately prescribed his medication and formed a treatment plan. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane. While some attempt was made to arrange remote appointments, these were not covered by Medicare, the inquest has been told. A referral letter was sent to Cauchi's GP, but no follow-up was organised with mental health services in Brisbane. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 The psychiatrist who stopped Joel Cauchi's medication years before he carried out a deadly mall attack has apologised to his victims. Cauchi, 40, was experiencing psychotic symptoms in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. As an inquest into the rampage resumed on Tuesday, the Queensland psychiatrist started her evidence by issuing a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and everyone affected. "I offer my sincere apologies to you that this tragedy has happened," she said. "I am aware that no words will ease the profound pain and suffering." She told the NSW Coroners Court that she had been personally affected by the attacks, which had impacted her life and health. "No psychiatrist in the world would wish on themselves for this trauma to happen," she said. Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC will ask the doctor, who cannot be legally identified, about her treatment of Cauchi. This will include a decision to stop his anti-psychotics in 2019 and what could have been done after Cauchi's mother later raised concerns about a decline in her son's mental health. Cauchi's mother first raised concerns about her son's worsening symptoms three months after he was weaned off the medication, the inquest was told on Monday. While he presented well afterwards, potential signs of relapse surfaced, a treating nurse said. Cauchi's father, however, was "adamant" about his son not resuming anti-psychotics and said "he himself had been traumatised by demons when awake and hears voices and is not on medication," a nurse's note read to the coroner said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. Two nurses have already given evidence about Cauchi's treatment, and both have said he did not present with any serious symptoms during appointments. His mother told them he was hearing voices, expressing sleeplessness, and experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder. While the nurses did initial consultations with Cauchi and sometimes his family, it was the psychiatrist who ultimately prescribed his medication and formed a treatment plan. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane. While some attempt was made to arrange remote appointments, these were not covered by Medicare, the inquest has been told. A referral letter was sent to Cauchi's GP, but no follow-up was organised with mental health services in Brisbane. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 The psychiatrist who stopped Joel Cauchi's medication years before he carried out a deadly mall attack has apologised to his victims. Cauchi, 40, was experiencing psychotic symptoms in April 2024 when he fatally stabbed six shoppers at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction and injured 10 others. As an inquest into the rampage resumed on Tuesday, the Queensland psychiatrist started her evidence by issuing a tearful apology to the families of the victims, Cauchi and everyone affected. "I offer my sincere apologies to you that this tragedy has happened," she said. "I am aware that no words will ease the profound pain and suffering." She told the NSW Coroners Court that she had been personally affected by the attacks, which had impacted her life and health. "No psychiatrist in the world would wish on themselves for this trauma to happen," she said. Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC will ask the doctor, who cannot be legally identified, about her treatment of Cauchi. This will include a decision to stop his anti-psychotics in 2019 and what could have been done after Cauchi's mother later raised concerns about a decline in her son's mental health. Cauchi's mother first raised concerns about her son's worsening symptoms three months after he was weaned off the medication, the inquest was told on Monday. While he presented well afterwards, potential signs of relapse surfaced, a treating nurse said. Cauchi's father, however, was "adamant" about his son not resuming anti-psychotics and said "he himself had been traumatised by demons when awake and hears voices and is not on medication," a nurse's note read to the coroner said. Cauchi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen but was successfully treated for decades. Two nurses have already given evidence about Cauchi's treatment, and both have said he did not present with any serious symptoms during appointments. His mother told them he was hearing voices, expressing sleeplessness, and experiencing extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder. While the nurses did initial consultations with Cauchi and sometimes his family, it was the psychiatrist who ultimately prescribed his medication and formed a treatment plan. In early 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Brisbane. While some attempt was made to arrange remote appointments, these were not covered by Medicare, the inquest has been told. A referral letter was sent to Cauchi's GP, but no follow-up was organised with mental health services in Brisbane. His rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in 2024 was brought to an end after he was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott. The hearing continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
