Police officer fiancé of Sydney stabbing victim 'discovered she had been killed after being scrambled to the scene'

14 April 2024, 16:30 | Updated: 14 April 2024, 22:47

The police officer fiancé of a woman who was killed in the Sydney stabbings arrived at the scene only to find out his own partner was among the victims.

Dawn Singleton, 25, who was among six people killed in the attack at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday, was due to get married to her partner, police officer Ashley Wildey.

Mr Wildey was among the officers sent to the shopping centre - only to find out that his fiancée was among the victims, the Daily Telegraph reported.

He and Ms Singleton had already sent out 'save the date' invitations to loved ones ahead of their wedding day. She had bought her wedding dress only days earlier.

Ms Singleton, the daughter of multi-millionaire businessman John Singleton, worked for fashion company White Fox Boutique, who paid tribute to her on social media.

Read more: Pictured: Sydney knifeman, 40, who killed six people before being shot dead by brave policewoman

Read more: Pictured: Mother, 38, killed defending her baby from Sydney shopping centre massacre

"Dawn was a sweet, kind-hearted person who had her whole life ahead of her," they wrote.

"She was really amazing. We are all truly devastated by this loss.

"We send our condolences to her partner, the Singleton family and her friends. She will always be remembered as part of the White Fox family."

Other victims have also been named as Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, and Faraz Tahir. Several others were injured.

The knifeman behind the attack was named as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, a surfer and English tutor from Queensland, who was shot dead by officer Amy Scott after he raised a knife to her.

Ashlee Good was attacked by knifeman Cauchi while trying to save her nine-month-old baby but tragically died later in hospital.

Ms Good’s family said in a statement on Sunday: “Today we are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all-round outstanding human, and so much more.

"We appreciate the well wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl."

They added: "We can report that after hours of surgery yesterday, our baby is currently doing well. We are so grateful for the expert care and attention of the medical team at Sydney Children's Hospital.

"To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not - words cannot express our gratitude."

Also killed were Jade Young, who worked as an architect in Sydney, Pikria Darchia who described herself as an artist, and Faraz Tahir, a security guard at the shopping centre.

The Australian Pakistani National Association paid tribute to Mr Tahir as “courageous” on social media.

Cauchi was already known to police in New South Wales and Queensland before the attack for mental-health-related matters.

Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said following the incident that Cauchi was “very clearly” suffering from mental health issues.

Mr Cooke said: “We know that shortly after coming to Sydney, he took possession of a storage facility that has been identified.

“We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved.”

Cauchi's family later issued a statement via Queensland Police as they said his actions were “truly horrific” and confirmed he had a long history of suffering with his mental health.

They said: “We are absolutely devastated by the traumatic events that occurred in Sydney yesterday.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and those still undergoing treatment at this time.

“Joel's actions were truly horrific, and we are still trying to comprehend what has happened. He has battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.

“We are in contact with both the New South Wales Police Force and Queensland Police Service and have no issues with the police officer who shot our son as she was only doing her job to protect others, and we hope she is coping alright.”

Police inspector Amy Scott was praised for her courageous behaviour on Saturday.

Ms Scott was the first respondent on the scene during the attack and shot Cauchi dead after he threatened her with a knife.

Members of the public have since visited the area to pay tribute with flowers to those who lost their lives or have been affected by the attack.