An aboriginal woman who allegedly stabbed an Asian sushi chef in Melbourne’s CBD has been bailed to hospital for mental health treatment after convincing a judge she is “transgender”.
Lauren Darul, 33, was refused bail last month for allegedly stabbing Wan Lai, 36, in a random 7.30am attack while the chef was walking to work on October 2, and on Wednesday appeared in front of Supreme Court Justice Rita Incerti from the Thomas Embling Hospital for a new bail application.
She was transferred to the hospital on December 11 to be placed on clozapine for medication-resistant schizophrenia, and a psychiatrist said Darul would need to spend up to 18 weeks there under assessment, Newswire reported.
Justice Incerti noted that Darul recently decided to “transition” to male and now uses “he/him” pronouns, and referred to her as “Mr Darul” while deciding to grant her bail to same mental health facility, The Age reported.
The judge also took into account Darul’s aboriginality, her “transgender” status, and long history of mental illness and homelessness as major factors in deciding to grant bail, and said there would be no risk to the community as she would not be allowed to leave the hospital.
“Mr Darul must not be discharged prior to having his bail reviewed,” Justice Incerti said.
“The applicant must remain an involuntary patient under the staff at Thomas Embling Hospital. Once the treatment order is complete, the court will review the bail application and decide whether it should be renewed or revoked.”
Defence barrister Julian McMahon SC argued his client should be given bail for mental health treatment and then be returned to supportive housing on Little Bourke Street where she had been living before the alleged stabbing.
Darul has been served with an eviction notice from the property due to endangering the safety of other residents, but Law and Advocacy Centre for Women case manager Mary Paterson said there were plans to fight it.
Crown prosecutor Richard Pirrie opposed bail on the grounds that Darul was on bail at the time of the alleged stabbing, had nine prior bail breach offences, and had been issued with 16 warrants for failing to appear on bail, and argued she faced up to seven years’ jail for the alleged stabbing, which was caught on CCTV.
A court previously heard Darul was allegedly involved in five separate crimes in the three months leading up to the alleged attack on Ms Lai, including allegedly spitting in the face of a 10-year-old boy who was walking with his family near Melbourne Aquarium. She later blamed her daily methamphetamine use.
Header image: Left, the alleged stabbing. Right, Lauren Darul (Facebook).
The post Aboriginal alleged Melbourne stabber bailed to hospital because she’s ‘transgender’ first appeared on The Noticer.
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