'‘I was terrified’: security guard in charge tells Bondi Junction stabbings inquest communication difficulties caused delay in warning' diff viewer (0/1)

This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on May 07, 2025 08:18 (UTC). The next check for changes will be September 28, 2025 00:25

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~~‘I was terrified’: security guard in charge tells Bondi stabbings inquest communication difficulties caused delay in warning~~	‘I was terrified’: security guard in charge tells Bondi Junction stabbings inquest communication difficulties caused delay in warning
2025-05-07 08:18:21 UTC	2025-05-07 11:02:22 UTC (about 3 hours later)
Joseph Gaerlan tells court he received distress call during his lunch break warning ‘there’s lots of blood, you need to hurry’	Joseph Gaerlan tells court he received distress call during his lunch break warning ‘there’s lots of blood, you need to hurry’
A security guard in charge of emergency response the day Joel Cauchi fatally stabbed six people inside a Bondi shopping centre has told an inquest that communication difficulties caused a delay in warning customers about the incident.	A security guard in charge of emergency response the day Joel Cauchi fatally stabbed six people inside a Bondi Junction shopping centre has told an inquest that communication difficulties caused a delay in warning customers about the incident.
The coronial inquest heard that a public emergency announcement was not issued until 17 minutes after Cauchi killed his sixth and last victim, and 14 minutes after a police officer had already shot him dead, an inquest has heard.	The coronial inquest heard that a public emergency announcement was not issued until 17 minutes after Cauchi killed his sixth and last victim, and 14 minutes after a police officer had already shot him dead, an inquest has heard.
The revelation came as CCTV was shown to the coronial inquest on Wednesday, examining the movements of Joseph Gaerlan, the security guard assigned as chief warden the day of the incident.	The revelation came as CCTV was shown to the coronial inquest on Wednesday, examining the movements of Joseph Gaerlan, the security guard assigned as chief warden the day of the incident.
Gaerlan’s tasks in this role included, in an emergency situation, getting people to safety and providing information to police.	Gaerlan’s tasks in this role included, in an emergency situation, getting people to safety and providing information to police.
“It’s quite difficult … looking at CCTV [is] quite frustrating because the time passed did not feel like that on the day,” he said, before beginning to cry.	“It’s quite difficult … looking at CCTV [is] quite frustrating because the time passed did not feel like that on the day,” he said, before beginning to cry.
“It just felt so quick … there was multiple information coming from different people, different sources.”	“It just felt so quick … there was multiple information coming from different people, different sources.”
The inquest, scheduled for five weeks, is examining the fatal stabbing of six people by Cauchi, who had schizophrenia, at Westfield Bondi Junction in April 2024.	The inquest, scheduled for five weeks, is examining the fatal stabbing of six people by Cauchi, who had schizophrenia, at Westfield Bondi Junction in April 2024.
Cauchi, then 40, killed Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Yixuan Cheng, 27, Pikria Darchia, 55, Dawn Singleton, 25, and Faraz Tahir, 30, and injured 10 others at the shopping centre on 13 April last year before he was shot and killed by police officer Amy Scott.	Cauchi, then 40, killed Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Yixuan Cheng, 27, Pikria Darchia, 55, Dawn Singleton, 25, and Faraz Tahir, 30, and injured 10 others at the shopping centre on 13 April last year before he was shot and killed by police officer Amy Scott.
‘Call the blue lights immediately’	‘Call the blue lights immediately’
Gaerlan, 29 at the time of the incident, told the court that he first learned of the incident during his lunch break when another security guard made a “distressed” radio alert at 3.33pm: “There’s lots of blood you need to hurry.”	Gaerlan, 29 at the time of the incident, told the court that he first learned of the incident during his lunch break when another security guard made a “distressed” radio alert at 3.33pm: “There’s lots of blood you need to hurry.”
She also, according to Gaerlan’s evidence, referred to a code black alpha – a threat to personal safety – but did not include a location.	She also, according to Gaerlan’s evidence, referred to a code black alpha – a threat to personal safety – but did not include a location.
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The court heard this account was different to the written record Gaerlan provided days after the incident, which stated the guard had told him there was a man with a knife. Gaerlan told the court he was stressed at the time of writing and had not recalled the timeline correctly.	The court heard this account was different to the written record Gaerlan provided days after the incident, which stated the guard had told him there was a man with a knife. Gaerlan told the court he was stressed at the time of writing and had not recalled the timeline correctly.
The court was shown CCTV footage of Gaerlan walking through the centre in a bid to find out what was happening, with customers seen stopping him to ask what was going on. He speculated to the court that they had seen shops closing their shutters, and wanted to know why.	The court was shown CCTV footage of Gaerlan walking through the centre in a bid to find out what was happening, with customers seen stopping him to ask what was going on. He speculated to the court that they had seen shops closing their shutters, and wanted to know why.
The CCTV shows Gaerlan continue through the shopping centre, with customers standing out the front of shops, before he quickly turns and runs.	The CCTV shows Gaerlan continue through the shopping centre, with customers standing out the front of shops, before he quickly turns and runs.
Gaerlan told the court this was the moment, at 3.37pm, when he got the first confirmation from another security guard that there was an “active armed offender” and to “call blue lights immediately, we need urgent backup”.	Gaerlan told the court this was the moment, at 3.37pm, when he got the first confirmation from another security guard that there was an “active armed offender” and to “call blue lights immediately, we need urgent backup”.
Asked by the senior counsel assisting the coroner, Peggy Dwyer SC, why he did not alert nearby customers at that time, Gaerlan said: “My key focus was to enact key principles or key tasks as chief warden [referring to issuing a public announcement] because I knew that would have the most wide-ranging reach.”	Asked by the senior counsel assisting the coroner, Peggy Dwyer SC, why he did not alert nearby customers at that time, Gaerlan said: “My key focus was to enact key principles or key tasks as chief warden [referring to issuing a public announcement] because I knew that would have the most wide-ranging reach.”
He told the court sending a radio message was difficult due to the amount of traffic. Once he could get through, he told the court, he sent a message to the other guards over the radio requesting a public announcement, and confirmation police had been contacted. The court heard he did not recall if he received a response.	He told the court sending a radio message was difficult due to the amount of traffic. Once he could get through, he told the court, he sent a message to the other guards over the radio requesting a public announcement, and confirmation police had been contacted. The court heard he did not recall if he received a response.
Asked why he did not follow process and move the radio communications across to an “emergency channel”, Gaerlan said he did not want to risk key people not realising the security guards had moved channels.	Asked why he did not follow process and move the radio communications across to an “emergency channel”, Gaerlan said he did not want to risk key people not realising the security guards had moved channels.
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The court heard the guards had undertaken training for situations with an active armed offender 11 days before the incident.	The court heard the guards had undertaken training for situations with an active armed offender 11 days before the incident.
‘Doing the best I could with the information I had’	‘Doing the best I could with the information I had’
At 3.40pm, two minutes after Scott shot Cauchi dead, the CCTV shows Gaerlan enter the shopping centre’s control room. He told the court he was then only aware there was an armed offender, and had not learned yet how many offenders there were, what the weapon was, or if there had been any fatalities.	At 3.40pm, two minutes after Scott shot Cauchi dead, the CCTV shows Gaerlan enter the shopping centre’s control room. He told the court he was then only aware there was an armed offender, and had not learned yet how many offenders there were, what the weapon was, or if there had been any fatalities.
“That information was still not clear,” he said.	“That information was still not clear,” he said.
He told the court he confirmed with a guard in the control room that she was on the phone to police, and is then seen making a phone call to who he said was a more senior security member. He said he told this manager there was a firearm, but that he did not yet know any more about it.	He told the court he confirmed with a guard in the control room that she was on the phone to police, and is then seen making a phone call to who he said was a more senior security member. He said he told this manager there was a firearm, but that he did not yet know any more about it.
The guards are then seen reviewing that day’s CCTV footage. At this point, Gaerlan told the court, he understood Cauchi had a knife.	The guards are then seen reviewing that day’s CCTV footage. At this point, Gaerlan told the court, he understood Cauchi had a knife.
He told the court he “assumed” by then another guard had informed the police there was only one offender. The court heard that he not aware at this point that a public announcement had not yet been made.	He told the court he “assumed” by then another guard had informed the police there was only one offender. The court heard that he not aware at this point that a public announcement had not yet been made.
Asked by Dwyer why he prioritised calling a senior manager over his core tasks as chief warden – including getting people to safety and providing information to police – Gaerlan said: “I was terrified and had thought that was the next step in my mind.”	Asked by Dwyer why he prioritised calling a senior manager over his core tasks as chief warden – including getting people to safety and providing information to police – Gaerlan said: “I was terrified and had thought that was the next step in my mind.”
“I was doing the best I could with the information I had coming through from various sources at the time,” he told the court.	“I was doing the best I could with the information I had coming through from various sources at the time,” he told the court.
The court heard that at 3.50pm he told a security guard in the control room to make the public announcement, after he realised it had not yet been made.	The court heard that at 3.50pm he told a security guard in the control room to make the public announcement, after he realised it had not yet been made.
“My understanding, per my direction, [was] it had been taking place sometime prior to that,” he told the court.	“My understanding, per my direction, [was] it had been taking place sometime prior to that,” he told the court.
Asked what his learnings were from the incident, Gaerlan replied: clearer radio communications.	Asked what his learnings were from the incident, Gaerlan replied: clearer radio communications.
The inquest continues.	The inquest continues.