The officer who stopped last year's deadly stabbing attack in Sydney’s Bondi Junction has given emotional evidence at the coronial inquest.
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00:00More than a year now since Joel Couchy went on that stabbing rampage with a hunting knife
00:07through Bondi Junction Westfield, killing six people and injuring 10. We have now for the first
00:13time heard the account of Inspector Amy Scott, the hero cop who went inside that shopping centre
00:20alone and stopped his rampage, inevitably saving more people's lives. We heard her today for the
00:28first time. She started off her evidence by sending her sincere condolences to the victims, families
00:33and loved ones saying that she would avail herself in any way to help provide them the answers that
00:39they need. She was then taken back through her account of the day when she initially received
00:45that urgent emergency call out while she was in her police vehicle nearby the Westfields around
00:503.30 in the afternoon. She was the closest to the scene and arrived within minutes. We heard that
00:56she saw a sea of people leaving Bondi Junction Westfield. They were waving her down and telling
01:02her people are dying in there. There's a person in there with a knife. Please can you go in and help?
01:09At that moment Inspector Scott said she went inside where she saw two men. They were French nationals
01:14Silas and Damien who directed her where Joel Couchy was heading and despite being alone she said at that
01:22moment she decided to go in there and take him down and minimise that threat because she said she didn't
01:28feel like she had any time to waste. Despite being alone she had the support of those two French
01:33nationals who followed closely behind and supported her the entire way. She then first came into contact
01:40with Joel Couchy. She went up the escalator and saw him there and yelled out to stop. Instead he ran in the
01:46opposite direction and then she started to pursue him on foot. Inspector Scott said when she eventually
01:52caught up to him again he stopped around some shopping centres where a number of shoppers were
01:57still there unaware of what was taking place and we saw CCTV footage today of just how close Joel Couchy
02:04came to one of those shoppers unaware that he was brandishing a large hunting knife. In that moment
02:09he started to focus on Inspector Scott and she started to try and de-escalate the situation.
02:16When she saw behind Joel Couchy was a woman hiding behind a large pot plant and she was with a pram at
02:23the time. Inspector Scott told the inquest that she mouthed the words run to that woman so she wouldn't
02:28alert Joel Couchy to the woman's presence and she got out of the way. After that she says Couchy charged at
02:34her with the knife and she shot at least four bullets at him. Three of those hit taking him down
02:39they found out later and we heard today in the inquest that one of those bullets actually hit
02:44the large pot plant where that woman had been hiding alongside a pram and Inspector Scott was
02:51commended for her bravery during that day and also for taking such precaution with the civilians
02:57surrounding her telling them to get behind her and get out of harm's way before she took any decisive
03:02action but she said today that didn't come without any fear. She felt nauseous running into that centre
03:08essentially she had resigned herself in her own mind that she would probably die and that's based
03:13on the training. She had received that attending an armed offender and trying to take down an active
03:19armed offender that her chances of not surviving any incident like that was 60 to 70 percent and that
03:25was if she had a partner and she was wearing a vest. She had neither of those at the time. She also
03:30paid tribute to her fellow colleagues who attended the scene saying they were brave and courageous
03:35and also became emotional as she spoke about the number of colleagues who have not been able to
03:39return to the force since that incident took place more than a year ago Kath. Now Ethan Inspector Scott
03:45wasn't the only one to speak at the inquest today. Two men who attempted to fight off Joel Couchy who
03:51you've been speaking about now with bollards also gave evidence today? That's right Kath those two French
03:58nationals Silas and Damien who I spoke about earlier assisted Inspector Amy Scott in tracking down Joel
04:04Couchy and following her closely behind. They were inside the Westfields at the time when this stabbing
04:11rampage all unfolded. Heard from them today as they left court. What went through their mind in that
04:17moment of fear and why they decided to take action? Here's what they had to say.
04:21No I didn't think getting hurt. Yeah we just think stop him. We knew we don't have like maybe a chance
04:33to escape. We knew he was like quite tight but I don't think we really think about that. We just
04:37go. Just the adrenaline came. The coroner commended those two men for their extraordinary bravery and
04:44the actions they took in helping Inspector Scott find Joel Couchy bringing his rampage to an end.
04:51This inquest still has a long way to go. It's expected to run for more than five weeks and there's
04:57still plenty of evidence to be heard. We understand tomorrow we'll start to hear from some of those
05:01first responding paramedics and the communication between those different agencies and how first
05:07responders tackled that event as it was unfolding.