Hostage reveals drama inside Sydney siege
Updated: 2014-12-18 09:27
(Xinhua)
|
|||||||||
SYDNEY - Sydney hostage Joel Herat has revealed the drama that unfolded inside the cafe where he and 16 others were held at gunpoint by Islamic extremist Man Haron Monis.
In an interview with Fairfax Media published on Thursday, his father Bruce Herat said Joel told them Monis repeatedly said "someone must die now" when the first of the hostages escaped on Monday afternoon.
Three people, including Monis, died in the siege.
Monis was wide awake and highly agitated by the early hours of Tuesday morning in the Lindt Cafe in the city's CBD.
Joel Herat told his family Monis was herding the terrified hostages into separate groups. They feared they would "not survive until the morning if they did not do something," Bruce Herat said.
He said his son's group of hostages decided to kick down an internal door so they could escape.
"From what Joel told me initially, towards 2 am Monis started to bring groups of people together in close proximity from where they had been dispersed throughout (the cafe)", he said.
"And at that point in time, Joel and five others came to the conclusion that they were not going to survive until the morning if they did not do something."
"So I think him and Jarrod (19-year-old Jarrod Hoffman) basically came to the conclusion that they would bust down the door. And I know that Joel made sure that Harriette (Denny) ... got behind him and he said, 'You're coming with me', and basically made sure that all that group were ready to go when Joel and Jarrod broke down the door, it was a group of six in total, I'm not sure who the others were."
This was the group seen escaping just before heavily armed tactical assault police stormed the cafe.
Earlier on Monday when the first group of hostages escaped, Monis was furious.
"We knew that three escaped early on, and I knew that was fabulous, but we were very much worried that some form of retribution would be taken," Bruce Herat said.
"Luckily it wasn't but I know that when I spoke to Joel later he said that upon the first escape, [Monis] lined up five people, one of them was Joel, and pointed a gun at them and said, 'Someone must die now'."
"I don't know how they did it but they did kick down the ( internal) door, which leads to the barristers' chambers, and then the moment they busted that door down, Joel heard shots in his proximity. And he made sure that Harriette got out and Jarrod got out, there were shots as they were fleeing."
"It had to be immediate, no opportunity to look back or anything like that, they just had to take their opportunity," his father said.
Bruce Herat said families of the hostages waited in a nearby court building until the siege ended.
- Australia launches urgent investigation on Sydney siege
- People pay floral tributes to Sydney siege victims
- Australian PM thanks police for ending Sydney siege
- Gunman in Sydney hostage taking known to Federal Police
- Manager of Sydney Cafe dies as hero in hostage siege
- Nightmare brings disbelief to Sydney
- Putin says Russian economy will rebound
- S.Korea won't conduct F-35 fighter maintenance in Japan
- India launches unmanned crew module into outer space with heaviest rocket
- Two missing after Chinese ship grounded near Oki islands
- Two people missing after China fishing boat grounded near Japan's Shimane
- 2014 marked by peaceful transfer of power in Afghanistan
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
China's Xi receives highest rating among world leaders |
Beijing wins central approval for new international airport |
Relocated parents face hard lessons |
SCO urged to cut trade barriers |
HK chief calls for respect of law as protests end |
High-end club hidden in Beijing's historic site |
Today's Top News
China urges US to correct itself after WTO case win
Venezuela could seek China's help as oil drops
China, Chile seek enhanced trade, investment
'Made in China' helps Brazilian consumers
LatAm-China ties key to turnaround
New dynamic for US, Cuba
Oil's fall 'huge gift' for China: expert
China, US to act on food issues
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |