NSW: "No winners" in police shooting case, officer tells inquest

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2005
NSW: "No winners" in police shooting case, officer tells inquest

By Kim Arlington

SYDNEY, Aug 9 AAP - A policeman who tried to save a man shot by a police colleague
broke down today as he told a Sydney inquest "there was no winner" in the tragic case.

Senior Constable John Mulhearn was the first officer on the scene after Acting Inspector
Rafic Ajaka shot 31-year-old Awale Mohammed on January 14 last year.

Glebe Coroners Court has been told that on January 13, Mr Mohammed was assessed by
a mental health nurse as being at low risk of harming himself and others.

The following afternoon, the Somalian immigrant attacked passer-by Matthew Fitzhenry
on Belmore Road, in the middle of Riverwood's busy shopping centre.

Insp Ajaka came across the pair moments before Mr Mohammed began repeatedly stabbing
22-year-old Mr Fitzhenry, who survived the attack.

Ignoring repeated demands to drop the knife, Mr Mohammed stabbed himself in the chest
and was shot when he advanced towards Insp Ajaka, the inquest has been told.

Sen Const Mulhearn arrived minutes later and administered first aid to Mr Mohammed,
who died from self-inflicted stab wounds and a gunshot wound to the chest.

Shedding tears in the witness box, Sen Const Mulhearn told Mr Mohammed's family that
every effort had been made to save his life.

"We all did our best and we could do no more," Sen Const Mulhearn told family members,
including Mr Mohammed's mother, sitting in the public gallery.

"In this particular case there was no winner."

Sen Const Mulhearn said Insp Ajaka seemed to be in shock after the shooting.

"I knew he wasn't hurt physically but ... he was traumatised and he was extremely concerned
about both parties, Matthew and Mr Mohammed."

Earlier, NSW Deputy Coroner Jacqueline Milledge had warned a cousin of Mr Mohammed
against intimidating witnesses while he sat in the public gallery.

A witness to the attack, Alison Rivett, told the court that while another witness had
been giving evidence, the man had stared at her and said, "She's making it up".

"It made me think if I got up here and said something he didn't like ... I might not
want to speak the whole truth," Ms Rivett said.

Ms Milledge told the man she would not tolerate intimidatory behaviour in the courtroom
and told the man to stay away from witnesses.

The inquest heard from several witnesses to the attack, all of whom said they feared
Mr Mohammed would stab Insp Ajaka.

Mr Mohammed kept moving towards the officer, even after the first shot was fired, the
court was told.

Tania Killen told the inquest Mr Mohammed was moving towards the police officer in
"a threatening way".

"He was lunging at him with the knife," Ms Killen said.

Another witness, Shirley Kelly, gave evidence that Mr Mohammed was continually moving
towards the police officer with his knife raised.

"I feel that if the police officer hadn't shot (him), he could have been stabbed," she said.

Sefic Pinjic, who was having lunch with his teenage son on Belmore Road when he saw
the incident, said Insp Ajaka had no choice but to shoot as the man came at him.

He said Mr Mohammed was holding his knife "ready to kill someone" and other people
could have been stabbed if the officer had not been on the scene.

"He didn't have a choice ... he didn't have time to think about it," Mr Pinjic told
the inquest, which continues tomorrow.

AAP ka/was/jo/sd

KEYWORD: MOHAMMED NIGHTLEAD (PIX AVAILABLE)

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