As more details emerge of the siege in Sydney’s Martin’s Place, which ended just after 2:00am, the hostages in the horrifying incident are being identified.
The hostages who lost their lives.
Tragically, two hostages were killed during the siege: A man aged 34 and a woman aged 38 were pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.
The 38-year-old woman has now been identified as Sydney barrister and mother-of-three Katrina Dawson.
Fairfax Media reports Ms Dawson, the daughter of a top QC, has three children aged under ten – two girls and a boy. The youngest child, a girl, is just four years old.
Ms Dawson attended Ascham and received a TER of 100. She also topped her bar exams, the Brisbane Times reports. The ABC reports her husband is Paul Smith, a partner at King & Wood Mallesons, the law firm where the couple first met. Ms Dawson worked at Selborne chambers on Phillip Street in Sydney’s CBD, just a minutes’ walk from the Lindt cafe.
The Daily Telegraph reports it understands Ms Dawson died as a result of cardiac arrest.
It is understood Ms Dawson was getting a coffee with her work colleague at the time of the siege. The Australian reported her three children did not know she was a hostage until Tuesday morning.
“We are shocked and devastated by the tragic and senseless death of our darling Katrina,” Ms Dawson’s family said in a statement.
“She was an amazing woman and the most loving and loved wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, in-law and blessed with a wonderful circle of friends and colleagues.
“We would like to thank everyone who has provided their support and wishes over the past 48 hours and ask that we be allowed to support each other in private.”
Read more about how the events of the Sydney siege unfolded here.
The president of the NSW Bar Association, Jane Needham, SC, said it was “with a heavy heart and deep sorrow” that she informed members of the bar that Ms Dawson had died in the siege.
“Katrina, together with two other members of the NSW Bar, were held as hostages during the incident at the Lindt Cafe in Phillip Street, Sydney, yesterday,” Ms Needham said in a statement.
“Katrina was one of our best and brightest barristers who will be greatly missed by her colleagues and friends at the NSW Bar. She was a devoted mother of three children, and a valued member of her floor and of our bar community. Our thoughts are with her family at this time, including her brother, Sandy Dawson of Banco Chambers.
“Out of respect to Katrina’s family, the NSW Bar Association will be making no further comment at this time.”
The 34-year-old man has now been named as Lindt manager Tori Johnson, Channel Seven reports. Mr Johnson was reportedly wrestling a gun from gunman Man Haron Monis, who had begun to doze off, when he was killed.
He is now being hailed as a hero of the siege.
Tori Johnson. Photo: ABC.
