A man and a woman will front court following a 90-minute siege that put two Bulli childcare centres into precautionary lock down last Friday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Wollongong police officers arrived at a unit on Point Street, Bulli after they responded to calls about welfare concerns about 4pm Friday, October 7.
The multi-agency response included officers attached to the Tactical Operations Unit, Tactical Operations Response Support, Police Negotiators and Police Transport Command.
A police dog, paramedics are a Fire and Rescue NSW truck also attended the scene.
Police set off OC spray and entered through the front door, emerging moments later with a bloodied, shirtless man.
Two nearby childcare centres were locked down as the situation developed.
It is understood a number of carers and parents also were inside the facilities, and no one was harmed as a result.
Justin Bennis, 38, and a 51-year-old woman were arrested, with the tense stand-off ending relatively peacefully about 5:40pm.
The pair were taken to Wollongong Hospital and remained there under police guard until being released into police custody.
They have now been charged at Wollongong police station, the man with nine offences.
He has been charged with armed with intent to commit indictable offence, three counts of harassing a police officer in execution of duty, attempting to stalk/intimidate and intend to cause fear of harm, using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention, using a prohibited weapon contrary to prohibition order, and two counts of resisting a police officer in the execution of duty.
The man appeared in Wollongong Local Court on Monday, where he was formally refused bail.
The woman was charged with armed with an intent to commit an indictable offence, assaulting a police officer in execution of duty, using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention, and three counts of resist or hinder police officer in the execution of duty.
Both are due to front Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday, October 18.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
