Hostage who escaped Sydney siege describes relief at seeing armed police | Australia news | The GuardianHostage who escaped Sydney siege describes relief at seeing armed police | Australia news | The Guardian










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Sydney siege



Hostage who escaped Sydney siege describes relief at seeing armed police









John O’Brien says his thoughts and prayers are with his fellow hostages and thanks Australians for their kindness and support
























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Link to video: John O’Brien speaks about Sydney siege ordeal



Bridie Jabour






@bkjabour





Wednesday 17 December 2014 00.22 EST







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A Sydney siege hostage has described the moment he turned a corner and saw armed police waiting after he escaped from the Lindt cafe.
John O’Brien was one of the first hostages to flee the siege when he and another man noticed a green button near the electric doors. They pushed it, the doors opened and they ran outside. 
O’Brien is still being interviewed by New South Wales police so said he could not go into detail about what happened inside the cafe after Man Haron Monis took at least 17 people hostage on Monday morning.
“All I was doing was going to see a specialist in Macquarie Street; I stopped for a coffee on the way home. I have never felt such relief as I did when I turned that corner and saw the armed police waiting,” he said on Wednesday.
“I am so grateful to be home with my beautiful wife, Maureen, and we’d both like to thank the media who have remained respectful, and to everyone in Australia for their kindness and support. Your thoughts and prayers mean a great deal.”
O’Brien also paid tribute to Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, who were killed during the siege. “My thoughts and prayers are also with my fellow hostages and everyone affected by this terrible event as we all try to come to terms with it.”
His statement came as the NSW police commissioner and premier criticised a magistrate’s decision to release the Sydney siege gunman on bail.
Monis was out on bail on charges including being an accessory to murder and multiple counts of indecent and sexual assault when he took at least 17 hostages in the Lindt cafe on Monday morning. The siege ended with the deaths of Monis, Dawson and Johnson when police stormed the cafe after 16 hours.
Commissioner Andrew Scipione said police had consistently sought for bail not to be granted to Monis. “We were concerned that this man got bail from the very beginning,” he said on Wednesday. “When he was first charged, criminally, it related to a matter that he’s currently, or was currently, before the courts on and we sought and in fact refused his bail.
“He subsequently went to court and was granted bail. In terms of the other matters that he was charged with, and was appearing before court on, he was also bail refused, but subsequently granted bail. 
“We can apply and seek to have offenders like this not in circulation but, of course, we don’t make the final determination. That’s a matter for a court. So whilst we sought to have him bail refused, that wasn’t to be.”
Scipione confirmed again that Monis was not on a national watchlist but said there were “many people” out there that cause police significant concern.
“Remembering that what he was charged with was not in any way related to any suggested political violence or anything that was linked to political violence: can we, should we, would we? Clearly, we work on a priority-based system so if somebody is on a national security watchlist, then we pay particular attention to them. But on this occasion, this particular individual was not.”
Scipione would not confirm reports Iran tried to have Monis extradited on criminal charges in his home country and said it was not clear why he had chosen the Lindt cafe for the siege.
Asked about the decision of police snipers not to try to shoot Monis, Scipione said he completely stood behind their decision and they were the “very, very best” at their job.
The premier, Mike Baird, echoed Scipione’s criticism of the magistrate, repeating that the NSW government had enacted legislation to make it more difficult for bail to be granted. “I think the magistrates do need to understand what the community is feeling,” he said. “This is something that is strong from one end of the state to the other, one end of of the country to the other.
“You know, the community needs to be protected. And if there is any element of risk, I see that as their job, and that is to keep the community safe. So, I mean, that’s my call to all those in the judiciary going forward.”
Baird said he had “no idea” why Monis had been granted bail. 
Tony Abbott has also been critical of the decision to grant bail to Monis and has asked why the “very, very unsavoury individual” was not a security watchlist.
“The system did not adequately deal with this individual, there is no doubt about that,” the prime minister told ABC radio on Wednesday morning.



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Sydney siege




Sydney




Australian police and policing




New South Wales




New South Wales politics



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Mike Baird




Tony Abbott




Australian security and counter-terrorism




Crime - Australia








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Sydney siege: Australian PM Tony Abbott warns of rise in 'terrorist chatter' - video

Australian prime minister Tony Abbott warns of a rise in 'terrorist chatter' in the aftermath of the cafe siege in Sydney



Published: 23 Dec 2014




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Sydney siege victims Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson mourned at memorial services

Survivors of Martin Place Lindt cafe siege join victims’ families and NSW premier, governor and police commissioner at memorial services



Published: 22 Dec 2014




Sydney siege victims Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson mourned at memorial services












Sydney siege floral tributes to be removed before wet weather hits city

Flowers will be mulched and used in a memorial to be established in consultation with the families of the victims of the Lindt cafe attack in Martin Place



Published: 22 Dec 2014




Sydney siege floral tributes to be removed before wet weather hits city












Sydney siege: videos show gunman's wife a risk to public, say prosecutors

Amirah Droudis faces a bid to revoke her bail pending her trial over the killing of Man Haron Monis’s former wife



Published: 21 Dec 2014




Sydney siege: videos show gunman's wife a risk to public, say prosecutors














Partner of Sydney siege gunman arrives at court - video




Published: 22 Dec 2014




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Siege survivor Julie Taylor tells of heartbreak over loss of Katrina Dawson




Published: 18 Dec 2014




Siege survivor Julie Taylor tells of heartbreak over loss of Katrina Dawson








Man Haron Monis lawyers and judges receive death threats and other abuse




Published: 18 Dec 2014




Man Haron Monis lawyers and judges receive death threats and other abuse








On guns, David Leyonhjelm is neither a champion nor a villain. He's a libertarian

Eleanor Robertson




Published: 18 Dec 2014







On guns, David Leyonhjelm is neither a champion nor a villain. He's a libertarian
















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