Man charged with murder after Merrylands stabbing spree had allegedly absconded from hospital | New South Wales

A man has been charged with murder following a stabbing attack in Sydney’s west that left one man dead and two others seriously injured.

Authorities said the 25-year-old defendant avoided medical services while being transferred between hospitals 10 days before the attack.

New South Wales police said they were called to a shopping precinct in Merrylands at around 10am on Tuesday.

A 38-year-old man died at the scene Wednesday morning, while a 47-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man remained hospitalized in critical condition.

The defendant allegedly fled the scene on foot and was arrested nearby on Smythe Street.

He was taken to Granville police station and charged with murder and two counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent to murder.

CCTV footage released by Sydney media appears to show the beginning of an alleged stabbing at a Nepalese grocery store. A man wearing a white hat, shirt and gray pants walked up to the counter and allegedly stabbed the 47-year-old woman in the neck. One person was also stabbed in the store.

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Security camera footage at the store’s entrance shows the same man running away from the store, walking along the footpath, and stabbing another man.

CCTV footage released by Nine shows a man running on the road next to the train tracks immediately after the alleged attacks. The woman pushing the baby carriage in front of her sees him approaching and starts running, but the man passes her.

Supt Simon Glasser claimed on Tuesday that a knife approximately 25cm long was used in the stabbings.

Glasser claimed the 25-year-old was known to police for “petty crimes and a string of mental health incidents”.

The Western Sydney local health district said the man ran away from care 10 days before the stabbings.

“The district is aware that the person allegedly involved is a new patient at Cumberland hospital, which provides acute inpatient care to people with complex mental health needs,” a spokesperson said.

“On February 7, this individual escaped care while being transferred from Cumberland hospital to Westmead hospital emergency department for further medical evaluation.”

The health district said NSW police and the patient’s family had been notified but attempts to contact the patient were “unsuccessful”.

The health district said a formal review of the man’s care and treatment would be conducted.

The defendant was refused bail on Tuesday to appear in Parramatta local court on Wednesday.