Sydney axe attack: Woman guilty of trying to kill strangers

Image source, NSW DISTRICT COURT

Image caption, Evie Amati (centre) wounded two shoppers in the attack in Sydney

A woman who attacked two people with an axe in an Australian convenience store has been convicted of attempted murder.

Evie Amati, 26, carried out the unprovoked attack in Sydney last year.

After entering the 7-Eleven store, Amati used the axe to strike a man in the face and a woman in the back of the head. Both victims suffered serious injuries.

Amati had pleaded not guilty, arguing that she was experiencing a psychosis at the time of the attack.

The New South Wales District Court convicted her of three charges on Friday, after almost two days of deliberations by a jury.

During the trial, the court heard that Amati's victims thought she had come from a costume party when she entered the store about 02:00 on 7 January last year.

Image source, NSW DISTRICT COURT

Image caption, Amati attacked Ben Rimmer (pictured) as he waited to buy a meat pie

Security footage played to court showed Amati approaching her first victim, Ben Rimmer, as he waited to buy a meat pie.

She spoke with him briefly before attacking him. Mr Rimmer was knocked to the ground, and suffered a 10cm (4in) facial wound and fractures.

Amati attacked her second victim, Sharon Hacker, near the door, leaving her with a fractured skull.

Amati then attempted to strike a third person, Shane Redwood, outside the store, but he managed to use his backpack as a shield. She was arrested shortly later.

'Out of her mind'

Her lawyer, Charles Waterstreet, told the court that she had been "out of her mind" at the time, and was affected by drugs, alcohol and prescription medication.

Amati testified that her mental health had declined after she began taking hormones to transition from male to female.

However, the jury rejected Mr Waterstreet's argument that she was suffering from "mental derangement".

Ms Hacker told reporters after the verdict: "I really hope that [Amati] is able to have some sort of rehabilitation because ultimately that's what justice is about.

"Making sure people become better people than what they could be at the time."

Amati was convicted of two counts of wounding with intent to murder and one count of attempted wounding with intent to murder. She will be sentenced in September.