Sydney stabbings: Survivor of Dunedin supermarket knife attack reacts to Bondi mall mass stabbing

Dallas Wilson, a senior manager at Countdown supermarket in central Dunedin, with his two sons. Wilson was stabbed four times while trying to wrestle a knife-bearing man during an unprovoked attack at the supermarket on May 10, 2021.

A Dunedin man critically injured in a stabbing attack three years ago says his thoughts go out to the victims of a mass stabbing at a Sydney mall.

Six people were killed and 12 were injured when a man thought to be mentally unwell went on a rampage at a mall in Sydney’s beach suburb, Bondi, on Saturday.

In 2021, four people at a Dunedin supermarket were injured when a man armed himself with a 7cm knife from the store’s aisles and proceeded to attack customers and employees at random.

Dallas Wilson, at the time a senior manager at the Countdown Dunedin Central, was stabbed four times as he attempted to stop the attacker.

Wilson said he found out about the Sydney attack through news reports on Sunday, and felt terrible for everyone involved.

“It didn’t really bring back anything for myself, I obviously just felt really sorry for what’s going on over there. It sounded next level... Luckily at Countdown, no one got killed,” he said.

“The Countdown attack, that was three years ago, and I’ve spent a lot of time dealing with that and getting over that.”

Wilson said the first year following the attack was difficult for him to return to normality, but he had received plenty of support from different people.

“Time heals, and you can sort of forward now and close that chapter off.”

First responders rush one of the Countdown LynnMall terror attack victims to hospital in September 2021. Photo / Alex Burton

The attack happened in an instant, he said.

As Wilson restrained the man from behind, the man wildly swung the knife behind him and struck Wilson four times, sustaining a severe wound to his abdomen, his chest, one that nearly struck his liver, and his waist.

“I’m just grateful to survive it and carry on, I guess,” he said.

“Obviously it brings things back. Just like with the Auckland [New Lynn supermarket attack of 2021], and other sorts that happen around the world or wherever... But the initial incident itself, I’ve spent so much time going over that through Police and courts and dealing with it and processing it.”

“It’s just an awful thing that happened.”

Ben Tomsett is a Multimedia Journalist for the New Zealand Herald, based in Dunedin.