CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses content that some readers may find distressing.
The ‘Bollard Men’ who have been dubbed heroes during the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing have been identified as two tradesmen Damien Guerot and Silas Despreaux.
On Saturday, 40-year-old Joel Cauchi went to Bondi Junction Westfield and fatally stabbed six people, five women and one man, and further injured nine women, two men and a nine-month-old baby.
During the ordeal, a video surfaced on social media that showed a man on an escalator confronting Cauchi with a bollard. As the video quickly circulated online, many people went on social media to praise the bravery of the ‘Bollard Men’.
The men in the video have since been identified as Damien Guerot and Silas Despreaux.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Guerot was holding a bollard in front of Cauchi, preventing him from entering a part of the shopping centre where children were playing.
Later on, Despreaux also grabbed a bollard and bravely confronted the 40-year-old.
The publication also reported that the two tradesmen were the ones who led NSW Police officer Amy Scott to Cauchi’s location, where she shot and killed him when he lunged at her with a knife.
Speaking to 7News Australia, Guerot said they “tried to catch” Cauchi but they couldn’t.
“We just saw him coming … we were thinking, ‘We need to try to stop him’,” Guerot said.
The tradie added that Cauchi had “empty eyes”.
“He wasn’t there,” Guerot continued.
“We tried to throw the bollard. We really wanted to stop him.”
Towards the end of the interview, Guerot said he believed that officer Scott was the hero.
“She was the hero, she did the job. We just did what we did,” he said.
In a press conference on Saturday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commended the bravery of the people involved in the Bondi Junction Westfield Stabbing.
“Bondi Junction was the scene of shocking violence, but it was also witness to the humanity and the heroism of our fellow Australians, our brave police, our first responders and of course, everyday people who could never have imagined that they would face such a moment. And some of the footage is quite extraordinary,” Albanese said.
NSW Police don’t believe that Cauchi was acting on a political ideology but believe he might have been having a mental health episode.
Five out of the six victims of the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing have been identified as Pikria Darchia, 55, Faraz Tahir, 30, Jade Young, 47, Ashlee Good, 38, and Dawn Singleton, 25.
Image source: 9News
- If you need mental health support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
- You can also reach the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or chat online.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
