‘Stuff of nightmares’: Families of those killed in Westfield Bondi Junction attack speak of ‘bone deep, soul crushing agony’

The families of those killed in the Westfield Bondi Junction attack have told an inquest that finding out about the deaths was “the stuff of nightmares” and the grief was a “bone-deep, soul-crushing agony” that follows them like a shadow.

Joel Cauchi, 40, killed six people and injured 10 during a stabbing rampage at the Westfield shopping centre in Sydney’s east on April 13, 2024.

Dawn Singleton, Yixuan Cheng, Faraz Ahmed Tahir, Ashlee Good, Jade Young and Pikria Darchia were all killed in the attack.

A five-week coronial inquest into the deadly stabbings explored what could have been done differently at every level from Cauchi’s treating psychiatrists, nurses and doctors in the years prior, to the response of emergency services and the centre’s operator on the day of the tragedy.

The inquest heard from the families of the victims on Thursday, with boxes of tissues placed throughout the court and the media room before proceedings began.

Ms Young’s mother, father, brother, husband, and dog all entered the witness box on Thursday morning, her family delivering heart-wrenching statements to coroner Teresa O’Sullivan of their anger, anguish and grief.

Her mother, Elizabeth Young, told the court that she and her family “cannot be mended” following her daughter’s death.

“I hurt so terribly that our lovely, loving, clever, compassionate … gentle girl no longer has the chance to be, to exist, in the now and future,” she told the court.

She said learning of her daughter’s death was the “stuff of nightmares, the stuff of a parallel universe”.

Ms Young was killed while her own daughter was by her side on the day of the attack.

Ms Young’s husband was at the shopping centre on the day and was threatened by Cauchi at one stage: he warned other shoppers Cauchi had a knife before he rushed to his wife and child.

Their daughter had called him after Ms Young was stabbed.

Ms Young’s mother told the court on Thursday her granddaughter was “so aware” of what had unfolded she once drew a map of the shopping centre’s fourth floor in blue crayon after her mum was stabbed to show her “exactly where her mum had fell”.

She invited the court to pause and reflect on this.

The last time the mother interacted with her daughter was the morning of April 13, 2024, when she received a heart emoji to a photo she had sent her of a fairy ring of mushrooms.

“My absolute last connection with her, an emoji … ordinary interactions between a mother and daughter,” Ms Young told the court.

“Little over a week later I was leaning over her body here.”

She said she had “lost (her) way in life” following the death of her daughter, and flinches at people shouting in the street, startles easily, and can no longer listen to music or have flowers at home.

She dreads Saturday afternoons, as that is when the tragedy unfolded.

She said by the time she recovered from them “it’s 15.33pm on Saturday again”.

“I am angry and aggrieved and anguished for what I have lost … She has been denied a future,” Ms Young told the court.

There is “no way to make amends for what (Cauchi) took from me and my family.”

She said suggestions people from various agencies were doing their best they could provided little comfort to her.

“Dr Dwyer referred to individuals doing their best in fallible systems,” she told the court.

“I’m sorry but it seems to me that my daughter and five others were killed by the cumulative failures …(of a) whole series of systems.”

She said Australia “doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge that what happened on that Saturday is essentially … the years of neglect of within our mental health systems, state and federal”.

She aired her frustration with the reporting of the tragedy, including images of her daughter’s “lifeless body being worked on” broadcast, including by way of social media.

“Images of a grieving family or a woman dying, lying dead, sickens me,” she told the court.

Faraz Tahir’s family ‘immensely proud’

Photos of Mr Tahir were played through the court as his brother, Muzafar Ahmad Tahir, delivered his victim impact statement.

He described his brother as humble, brave, compassionate, loving, and caring.

“He was very brave and fearless since childhood. Faraz is a very kind, loving and caring person. He was always supportive and caring to everyone around him,” Mr Tahir told the court.

He said Mr Tahir was “truly happy” in Australia, and that he had dreams “for his life, for his family, for a better tomorrow”.

Memories keep him alive in the hearts of his family, the court was told.

“The way he left us is something we cannot come to terms with. His absence has left a void that no joy or celebration can ever fill,” Mr Tahir said.

“This wound will remain with us for the rest of our lives.”

He said his brother died “with honour as a hero”.

“My brother Faraz Tahir squeezed his life for Australia’s land. He did not care about his life, and saved many peoples’ lives by sacrificing his life,” he said.

“He gave his life while saving humanity, protecting the people of Australia, and running towards danger instead of away from it.

“His courage makes us immensely proud.

“To us, and to many others, he will always be remembered as a symbol of bravery, a hero whose story we will pass onto future generations.”

He extended his condolences to the families of all those who lost their loved ones, including Cauchi’s parents.

“We recognise their loss, they raised their son and have lost him and we know that this tragedy is not their fault,” he said.

Mr Tahir was working his very first shift at Westfield Bondi Junction when he was killed.

He had five siblings and grew up in Pakistan before he moved to Sri Lanka in 2018 before moving to Australia in 2022.

He moved to Adelaide and Brisbane before settling on Sydney.

Mr Tahir had a video call with all his siblings the day before he died — his brother, Muzafar Tahir, said in a statement that Mr Tahir was “excited because he was wearing a uniform”.

The court was earlier told Mr Faraz and his colleague, Muhammad Taha, had “moved towards the crowd to assess the situation and determine if there was any threat” that would need to be reported to the control room as the tragedy unfolded.

Mr Tahir had turned towards his colleague after he was stabbed by Cauchi, giving Mr Taha “a moment to brace himself”.

“Faraz demonstrated immense bravery and courage, sacrificing his life to protect others,” the court was told.

‘Soul-crushing agony’ follows family ‘like a shadow’

Ms Cheng’s parents said they couldn’t describe the emotions they felt when learning their “world fell apart” following the stabbing attack.

It took them four days to travel from China to be with her, a statement read by their lawyer on their behalf said.

Her parents described their grief as “piercing, bone deep, soul-crushing agony that is beyond description that follows you like a shadow”.

“We now miss our child every day, every night, every moment — we miss her terribly.

“She was the treasure of our lives.

“The pain of losing a daughter is immeasurable.”

They said their “minds feel blank” since the loss and they “aged overnight”.

“Only after losing our daughter did we truly understand that life and death are two sides of the same coin,” the statement read.

“Goodbye can turn into farewell forever.”

They said they never had the chance to tell Ms Cheng being her parents was “the greatest gift life gave us”, but that she had comforted one of them in a dream.

“Mum, it doesn’t hurt, not at all,” Ms Cheng said in the dream.

They said their daughter was “so happy” studying in Australia, and was “on the brink of beginning the most brilliant chapter of her life”.

Ms Darchia was described as a woman of structure and determination by her eldest son, George Darchia.

“She was not just a victim, she was an artist. She painted landscapes, often inspired by Australian nature,” a statement read on his behalf said.

“She was quiet but full of depth. Observant, kind, strong.”

His statement said his mother dreamt of him and his brother living with her in Sydney, and he now lived “with the pain of that choice”.

If he had moved, or insisted she stay in Georgia, “maybe I could have helped her avoid going to Westfield Bondi Junction on that fateful day”, his statement read.

“This thought lives in me every day – it’s not guilty in a logical way,” he said.

The loss of his mother “shattered (his) world”, but he hopes he will one day be able to heal.

“I want to end my words not only with sorrow but with hope. Hope that we learn from this,” he said.

Mr Darchia appeared through a video link, wiping tears after his statement concluded.

A statement on behalf of Ms Darchia’s youngest son, Irakli Dvali, spoke of her as a woman who can “never be replaced”.

“She wasn’t just my parent, she was my anchor, my protector, my motivator,” Mr Dvali’s statement said.

“She led our family with unshakeable strength, always looking out for everyone before herself.

“Her love had no limits – even when I make things difficult, even when I pushed her away, she never turned her back on me.”

His statement said his mother seemed “truly happy” in Sydney, which brought him bittersweet peace.

“But the way she left this world, it breaks me,” his statement read.

“It was so sudden, so violent, so opposite of the peace she deserved.

“I still look for her in moments, I still expect her voice, I still fill her love in everything.

“It’s hard to breathe sometimes knowing she’s not with me.”

Mr Dvali said he wished he told her how much she meant to him, and he tried to “keep going because she would want me to continue”.

“My life has changed in a way I can’t explain: I am lost in my life without her, but I live for her,” his statement said.

“Sometimes I just don’t know how to keep going.

“Her absence is a shadow I carry everywhere … I hope she is watching, and I hope she is at peace with my father knowing how deeply she is loved.”

Ms O’Sullivan said Thursday’s proceedings had “affected everyone”.

“You’ll see there’s tissues on every table. It has been profoundly moving to hear about the loved ones,” Ms O’Sullivan told the court.

“I found it profoundly moving, I’ll never forget what I heard today.”

She assured the victims’ families their loved ones “would not be lost in this process”, as findings and recommendations would be made that would hopefully “improve systems and prevent deaths”.

Victim ‘oblivious’ to Cauchi’s rampage

A comprehensive statement from the NSW police officer who led the investigation into the fatal attack, Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Marks, gave a heartbreaking insight into how the events unfolded.

It revealed details of the families’ statements given to investigators.

Ms Cheng was an only child from Bozhou, China. She was passionate about piano, taekwondo and dance.

She studied economics at the University of New South Wales and returned to China due to the pandemic before she came back to NSW in 2023 after she was accepted into a masters of economics at the University of Sydney.

She called her mother on the day of the fatal attack to tell her she was going shopping at Westfield Bondi Junction.

About 6pm that evening Ms Cheng’s boyfriend called her mother and told her about the incident, and that he couldn’t get in touch with Ms Cheng.

CCTV showed Ms Cheng walking through the centre on her phone, “oblivious that what had been occurring in front of her”.

She was stabbed by Cauchi and later died.

Ms Young grew up in the Wollongong area and studied architecture. She and her husband lived in the UK for eight years and had two children together.

She was shopping with her daughter on the day of the attack.

Ms Young was meant to meet her husband, who was threatened by Cauchi at one stage.

He warned other shoppers Cauchi had a knife.

Ms Good, a former osteopath who had moved into a corporate role as executive years prior, was pushing her daughter in a pram when she was stabbed.

“After Mr Cauchi attacked Ms Good it caused her to stumble away from the pram,” counsel assisting the coroner Peggy Dwyer SC told the court.

In a “tremendous act”, Ms Good was able to “save her child’s life”.

Inspector Marks later said Ms Good should be awarded a posthumous bravery award for saving her child.

Ms Darchia had two children and moved to Australia from Georgia in 2012.

A statement from her best friend revealed Ms Darchia was studying at a prestigious art academy, undertook English courses, and enjoyed yoga.

She had met her friends for lunch on April 13 before heading to the shopping centre, where she was stabbed by Cauchi.

Ms Singleton was stabbed while she was waiting in line at the Sourdough Bakery.

“The first and youngest victim who was killed by Mr Cuachi was Ms Dawn Singleton. She was only 25 years old, and a much loved daughter, sister and fiance,” Ms Dwyer told the court.

Bystanders rushed to Ms Singleton after she was stabbed and “exposed themselves to danger” to stay with her, even after hearing gunshots.

A man who came out of the nearby Country Road had wielded a chair and told those with Ms Singleton “I’ll fight (Cauchi) off if he comes back”.

Coverage caused ‘immeasurable pain’

Families of the victims specifically requested the media response, and the impact this had on them, be probed during the course of the inquest after reporting “significant distress” at the showing of graphic footage.

Ms Singleton’s mother, Julie Martin, and fiance, Ashley Wildey, both reported they were upset to find Ms Singleton had been identified in media reports before they were allowed to formally identify her.

“I had not seen her … I was still hoping at this point there had been some kind of horrible mistake,” Ms Martin’s victim impact statement read.

Ms Martin hadn’t yet told Ms Singleton’s friends, one of whom found out from a media report while she was waiting for Ms Singleton to pick her up for an event.

Ms Martin also said she found reporters requesting comment, including by leaving notes in her mailbox, “intrusive”, and some of the footage played left her “distraught”.

Mr Wildey said the reporting of the attack caused “immense and immeasurable pain” to his and Ms Singleton’s families.

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