Wakeley church stabbing, Sydney: Horrific details emerge of night of terror after Christ The Good Shepherd Church bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly attacked
Disturbing new details have emerged about a violent riot that broke out outside a church after its bishop was allegedly stabbed multiple times by a teenage boy.
Up to 2,000 angry locals gathered outside Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley in Sydney’s south-west from about 7pm on Monday after Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly attacked.
The sermon was live streamed when a 16-year-old allegedly confronted the bishop and stabbed him.
Hundreds of locals were alerted to the incident by social media and showed up ‘wanting blood’, with an out-of-control riot around the church for several hours.
Police then descended on the church and pepper sprayed some of those gathered, leaving people vomiting and struggling to see.
A friend of the church, Dominic Cammareri, who is alive, said he was caught up in the violence and was pepper-sprayed from a distance.
“People were throwing up from the pepper spray and running into people’s homes to get water,” he said.
Disturbing new details have emerged about a violent riot that broke out outside a church after its bishop was allegedly stabbed multiple times by a teenage boy
Up to 2,000 angry locals gathered outside Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley in Sydney’s south-west after Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly attacked
Police and local residents’ cars were smashed in the melee outside the church on Monday evening, with the extent of the damage made clear on Tuesday morning
Dominic Cammareri, (pictured), who lives nearby, said he was caught up in the violence and was pepper-sprayed from a distance
He blamed the power of social media for the way things escalated so dramatically.
“If it wasn’t for social media, the police would have arrived before the people rioted and this wouldn’t have happened,” he said.
‘They wanted blood. It was a big build up of chaos.
‘My only concern was for the bishop’s welfare. He is recovering, but I don’t think he will be released from hospital anytime soon.’
Nearby Welcome Street was covered in broken glass and debris on Tuesday morning.
Bricks were seen strewn across the ground, while wooden fence planks, which had been ripped off and used as weapons, were also left behind.
Plastic bottles, a vape and strange shoes were also scattered along the road and nature strip.
A group of neighbors, realizing they were members of the church, used brooms and shovels to try to clean up some of the trash as camera crews lined the normally quiet street.
Nearby Welcome Street was covered in broken glass and debris on Tuesday morning
Bricks were seen scattered across the ground, while wooden fence boards that had been ripped off and used as weapons were also left behind
A group of neighbors, realizing they were members of the church, used brooms and shovels to try to clean up some of the trash, while camera crews lined the normally quiet street
Jaklin Bityou was at Christ The Good Shepherd Church with her husband when the horror unfolded.
Her teenage daughter, Mary Anoya, watched the live stream from home with her aunt and grandmother as she saw Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel being stabbed multiple times, knowing her parents were also potentially in danger.
Mrs Bityou and her husband were not in the same room as the bishop at the time of the attack, but were nearby in the hall.
Mrs. Bityou said they were unable to leave until 10 p.m. 11 p.m., and her car is still in the church parking lot being dusted for fingerprints by forensics.
“I’m still shaking, it was horrible, we just heard people screaming,” she said.
‘We heard that the bishop had been stabbed in the eye.’
Jaklin Bityou (pictured with her teenage daughter Mary Anoya) was at Christ The Good Shepherd Church with her husband when the horror unfolded
Ms Bityou said her car is still in the church car park and being dusted for fingerprints by forensics
The 16-year-old accused of stabbing Bishop Emmanuel had recently been given a good behavior order for knife crime.
Mrs Bityou and her daughter said the church had a strong sense of community and everyone knew each other.
She said churchgoers had seen the alleged perpetrator wandering around the perimeter of the church before the attack and said he stood out from the regular parishioners.
“He knew the service was being live-streamed and he was waiting for the camera to be switched on before the (alleged) attack,” Mary said.
‘I just watched the live stream with my aunt and grandma and they let out the biggest screams.
‘It’s scary, it’s something you wouldn’t expect.’
Ms Bityou said she was able to contact her family to tell them she was okay.
She said that while the rioters’ actions were not acceptable, their anger came from a ‘place of love’ for the bishop.
Local resident Lina Davis was among those outraged by the mob’s reaction
Jaklin Bityou said that while the rioters’ actions were not acceptable, their anger came from a ‘place of love’ for the bishop.
Jaklin Bityou said the church had a strong sense of community and everyone knew each other.
It comes as the 16-year-old accused of stabbing Bishop Emmanuel had recently been given a good behavior order for knife crime.
The teenager was charged with a number of offenses following an incident at a Sydney train station last November, the ABC reported.
The charges included possession of a flick knife, being armed with a weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence, stalking and/or intimidation and recklessly destroying or damaging property.
He had been on bail before a court hearing in January where the charges were ‘proved’ but dismissed on a good behavior bond.
The outlet reported that there were no surveillance orders in place when he allegedly carried out the attack on Monday night.