Bondi Inquest Reveals 7-Minute Delay in Westfield Emergency Response

Westfield’s response is under scrutiny as an inquest examines the fatal stabbing of six people and the injury of 10 others, including a nine-month-old baby

Families walk out of the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall after a stabbing incident in Sydney on April 13, 2024. David Gray/ AFP via Getty Images

It took seven minutes for the man in charge of Westfield’s emergency response to reach the control centre after the initial radio call for help during a fatal stabbing spree.

Scentre Group retail manager Joseph Gaerlan was the chief warden for Westfield Bondi Junction on the afternoon of April 13, 2024, when Joel Cauchi went on a rampage with a pigging knife.