Joel Cauchi’s drug use very likely played a big role in his shocking stabbing attack that killed six people at Westfield Bondi Junction last year, a court has been told. Cauchi, 40, stopped taking his antipsychotic medication by choice, and the court heard that his decision had to be respected by doctors. The terrifying attack happened on April 13, 2023. Cauchi killed Ashlee Good (38), Jade Young (47), Yixuan Cheng (27), Pikria Darchia (55), Dawn Singleton (25), and Faraz Tahir (30). He also injured 10 others before police shot him dead. At the inquest’s final hearing day, lawyer Mark Lynch, representing Cauchi’s former psychiatrist Dr Andrea Boros-Lavack, said Cauchi’s phone and internet records showed he was looking for cocaine, MDMA, and cannabis in late 2023 and early 2024. Even though cocaine and MDMA weren't found in his toxicology report after the attack, his drug use was "quite likely" a factor in what happened. Lynch defended Dr Boros-Lavack, saying harsh criticisms against her were unfair. He explained that her care for Cauchi met professional standards except when she discharged him to the care of his GP in 2020. The court focused a lot on whether Dr Boros-Lavack should have slowly stopped Cauchi’s antipsychotic medication in 2019. She quickly prescribed the drug Abilify when early signs of relapse appeared, but Cauchi chose not to take it again. Since Cauchi didn’t meet the legal criteria for forced medication, no doctor could make him take drugs against his will. "His autonomy had to be respected," Lynch said. During the long hearing, Dr Boros-Lavack caused shock when she said she believed Cauchi’s attack had "nothing to do with psychosis"—a statement she later took back. Experts agreed Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" on the day of the attack. Families of victims were deeply hurt by her earlier remarks. Lynch said it was "grossly unfair" to question Dr Boros-Lavack about Cauchi’s mental state on that day since she lacked full information and hadn’t treated him for years. He added it was "deeply regrettable" that families were hurt, but said those questions shouldn’t have been asked. An assisting counsel for the coroner visibly disagreed with this. Lynch also defended Dr Boros-Lavack’s tone during testimony, explaining she was stressed, in pain, and not used to court. When asked if she should be reported to the health regulator, Lynch said no, but families had the option to do so. On another front, Dean Jordan SC, representing Westfield Bondi Junction’s owner, said some blame on security staff for handling the attack was too harsh. He praised the lead control room operator’s competence and raised fairness concerns because an independent report on response times was missing from submissions. The coroner hopes to deliver the final findings before this year ends. This inquest has stirred a fiery debate on mental health, patient rights, drug use, and the safety of public spaces—a tragic story with many complex layers.