TRANSCRIPT
It's a moment, Damien Guerot [[DAH-me-en GEH-roh]] and Silas Despreaux [[SIL-lass DAY-PRAY-oh]] say they will never forget.
On April 13, 2024, the French construction workers were were heading to the gym at the Westfield shopping centre in Sydney's Bondi Junction, when the chaos and commotion unfolded.
Homeless and mentally unwell, Joel Cauchi had entered the shopping complex, and in three minutes had fatally stabbed six people and injured several others.
With little time to react, Mr Guerot and Mr Despreaux operated on gut instinct to try to stop the attack before police arrived on the scene.
At the time, in the aftermath of the incident, they spoke to SBS French.
Mr Guerot says he and his work colleague were acutely aware of how many shoppers were in the line of attack.
(French then translated into English): "When we first saw him facing us, and the people around that were on the ground after being stabbed, our first reaction, like everybody else, was to run away. But then we found the bollard. We needed to defend ourselves. And that’s when Silas went with no cover downstairs. We tried to hit him but he was out of range, and then the assailant ran in the opposite direction. We ran after him with our bollards, and that’s when he reached that escalator. He was one floor below us."
One year on, he has told SBS French, they leaned on each other and their immediate support circle of family and work colleagues to get through that period.
Dubbed the 'bollard men', they have been recognised as they go out and about in public.
Silas: (French then translated into English): "It was strange, honestly. It’s not something you expect. Especially considering it was tied to a tragic event... It’s complicated.
Damien: (French then translated into English): "Yeah, especially thinking about the victims and those who didn’t make it."
Mr Despreaux says ultimately the sadness over the loss of lives is hard to move past.
(French then translated into English): "I still think about it, maybe once a month. Sometimes more often. We still replay what happened. I think it’ll be like that for a while."
A five-week coronial inquest [[Monday 28 April to Friday 30 May 2025]] is about to begin to examine if there was an opportunity for earlier intervention; and to also assess the security response by Scentre Group, the owner of Westfield, and its security contractors.
The coroner will consider the need for recommendations on lessons that can be learned for the future, particularly relating to public health and safety.
Mr Guerot says he doesn't know exactly what to expect when he delivers his testimony in the Coroner's Court, but he will do his best to convey what he saw.
(French then translated into English): "I got calls from both the police and the judges. They asked if I had questions, if I’d need an interpreter, and gave me a general idea of the process. But honestly, I still don’t fully know how it'll go."
Mr Despreaux says giving his evidence in English will add an extra challenge.
(French then translated into English): "Being in court is already unfamiliar. On top of that, it’ll be in English—maybe not the English we’re used to. That’s a bit stressful. But we’ll just tell our story like we did with the police. Hopefully, this will be the last time we have to repeat it all over again."
The act of bravery by the pair was commended by French President Emmanuel Macron and Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.
It has resulted in Mr Guerot being granted permanent residency.
It's something he says he is grateful for - and it has brought him a step closer to becoming an Australian citizen.
(French* then translated into English): Yes! I’ve been incredibly lucky, and I’ll never be able to thank the Prime Minister, Australia, and everyone who signed the petition enough. Thank you also to Mr. Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister, for granting me this right to stay. He couldn’t give me citizenship—that’s not within his power—so I have to go through the normal steps. I got permanent residency, and now, a year on, I am close to applying for citizenship."
