Alleged Melbourne CBD random stabber Lauren Dural applies for bail despite police opposition

The woman accused of a brazen random knife attack in Melbourne’s CBD had told a court she hopes to “clean up my life and stay off the drugs”.

The comment by Lauren Dural, 32, comes as she launched a bid to be released on bail, 54 days after allegedly stabbing Wan Lai, 36, with a knife on Little Bourke St on October 2.

In a hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday afternoon, her lawyers argued there was a “comprehensive” level of support services available in the community for Ms Dural, who had special vulnerabilities.

The court was told Ms Dural had spent a large portion of her life homeless and had found supported independent accommodation for the first time in her life just months before the alleged offending.

She was now at risk of losing this accommodation if she remained in custody, a prospect that would set her back considerably, her lawyers argued.

Outlining the case against Ms Dural, First Constable Damien Elliott said it was alleged that Ms Dural ran up behind Ms Lai about 7.30am carrying a soccer ball under her left arm and a 10cm kitchen knife in her right.

It’s alleged she stabbed Ms Lai in the chest, puncturing her lung, before running west along Little Bourke St.

Constable Elliott said Ms Lai was “extremely distressed” when he and other officers arrived at 7.42am.

“She was crying, she was calling out in distress, she was surrounded by three to four members of the public that were holding her up,” he said.

The officer said the alleged random attack was captured on CCTV, which was shown to a nearby homeless shelter whose staff identified Ms Dural.

She was arrested without incident at the shelter less than 90 minutes after the alleged offending, he said, and charged with intentionally cause injury, recklessly cause injury and commit indictable offence while on bail.

Constable Elliott told the court Ms Dural appeared “very confused” and “unable to stay still” when arrested and did not seem to know why police were looking for her.

She later referred to herself as the “King of Australia”, he said.

The court was told Ms Dural had 19 outstanding criminal matters before the courts at the time of the alleged offending and had a long history of mental health issues and substance abuse.

Constable Elliott said Ms Lai was “not supportive at all” for Ms Dural receiving bail and her family had expressed distress at the prospect.

He told the court Ms Lai was getting better and did not require any further surgeries but struggled in public due to the trauma and had since moved house because she lived nearby at the time.

He said Unity Housing, which runs the homeless shelter where Ms Dural was living, had served her with eviction papers recently.

The officer told the court it was the police’s view that the “risks to the community are too great” if Ms Dural was freed.

“The accused stabbed someone at 7.30am in the morning in broad daylight … I don’t understand any bail conditions that could mitigate that risk,” Constable Elliott said.

Ms Dural’s case manager from the Women’s Law and Advocacy Centre, Mary Patterson, gave evidence about the number of community organisations ready to step in and support Ms Dural if she was bailed.

She said Ms Dural had “seemed more settled” in recent months and had shown a willingness to engage with the support services.

The court was told Forensicare, a service that provides mental health care in custodial centres, had indicated plans to take Ms Dural to a hospital on an involuntary inpatient order if she was bailed.

Deputy chief magistrate Timothy Bourke will hand down a decision on bail on Wednesday afternoon.