Sydney cafe gunman Monis ‘was a lying narcissist’, inquest hears

The Sydney siege gunman was a self-obsessed liar who was kicked out of a motorcycle gang for being “weird”, ran a spiritual healing business and once flew to New Zealand and back to prove a point, an inquest has heard. Two people died after Man Haron Monis targeted the Lindt cafe on 15 December last year, taking 18 people hostage. Police stormed the building and killed the 50-year-old moments after he forced cafe manager Tori Johnson to kneel, before shooting him in the head at close range, the inquest was told. Barrister Katrina Dawson died when fragments of a police bullet ricocheted off walls and hit her.

He could be plausible, courteous and controlled. But he was also almost entirely consumed in his own self-importance and when challenged, his self-control would occasionally slip and his reaction was disproportionate.

Lawyer Sophie Callan

The inquest heard Monis was on bail for a string of sex assault charges, as well as a charge of being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife when he carried out the attack. Lawyers said Monis frequently protested against perceived injustices, such as chaining himself to buildings and going on hunger strike. On one occasion he even flew to New Zealand and immediately returned to try to prove he was being treated unfairly by customs officers. He also tried to join the notorious Rebels Motorcycle Club in 2012 or 2013 but was kicked out for being “weird”. More than 100 witnesses, including the surviving hostages are scheduled to give evidence.

Was Monis a so-called lone wolf prosecuting an ISIS-inspired terrorist act, or was he a deranged individual pursuing some personal, private grievance in a public manner?

Coroner Michael Barnes

Asia-Pacific Man Monis