Eight people who showed exceptional courage during the Bondi Junction stabbing rampage two years ago will receive special bravery awards on Monday, the second anniversary of the tragedy. Governor General Sam Mostyn praised their 'courageous and determined response in unspeakable and horrific circumstances', saying their acts 'reflect the best of us'.
Among the recipients are Muzafar Ahmad, whose brother Faraz Tahir was killed while working as a security guard. Tahir and colleague Muhammad Taha ran towards attacker Joel Cauchi after being alerted by fleeing shoppers. Cauchi stabbed both men; Tahir died. Ahmad said: 'I am proud of his bravery. He was like a son to me.'
Cauchi, who had schizophrenia and was in a psychotic state, killed six people – Ashlee Good, Jade Young, Yixuan Cheng, Pikria Darchia, Dawn Singleton, and Tahir – before being shot dead by police Inspector Amy Scott. A coronial inquest found a 'major failing' in Cauchi's psychiatric care and recommended changes to New South Wales' mental health system.
Scott, along with French nationals Silas Despréaux and Damien Jean Guerot who acted as her makeshift backup, will receive bravery medals. Despréaux told Guerot: 'Let's go catch him' as they tried to stop Cauchi using heavy bollards from a clothing store. Posthumous medals will be accepted by the families of Tahir and Good, who saved her nine-month-old daughter before succumbing to her injuries.
Noel McLaughlin, husband of victim Jade Young, will also be commended. He received a call from his daughter that his wife had been stabbed, ran towards them, and encountered Cauchi. Shouting that Cauchi had a knife, he warned others before finding his wife unresponsive and administering first aid. Nurse Catherine Ann Molihan, who ran out of a locked shop to help two injured men despite being unsure she could return, will also receive a commendation.
