WARNING: CONTENT MAY DISTURB.
CCTV captures violent axe attack in Sydney 7-Eleven. / News.com.au
A Sydney woman who attacked three people with an axe has denied she was very angry after perceiving she had been rejected because she was transgender.
"I have experienced rejection countless times before," Evie Amati told a NSW District Court jury during her cross-examination on Monday.
Amati, 26, has pleaded not guilty to wounding customers Benjamin Rimmer and Sharon Hacker with intent to murder at a Sydney 7-Eleven store and attempting to wound pedestrian Shane Redwood with intent to murder in the early hours of January 7 in 2017.
Her lawyer says the jury will have to consider the state of mind and intent of Amati — who was affected by hormonal and illicit drugs and depression — and whether a defence of mental illness can be made out.
Amati previously testified she has no memory of attacking the strangers but recalled earlier hearing voices in her head saying "kill and maim" after she smoked cannabis and took what she thought was MDMA.
CCTV footage from the incident shows the victims on the floor. Photo / supplied
She said she'd fallen into a "depressive episode" after she cut short a Tinder date believing the woman rejected her because she was transgender.
Amati told prosecutor Daniel McMahon on Monday that the rejection triggered depression rather than deep anger which he'd suggested contributed to the attacks.
"(Rejection) has happened over and over — it is a part of my experience," she said.
Mr McMahon played the CCTV footage of the two store attacks and pointed out she appeared to have waited until Mr Rimmer was distracted before striking him in the face with the axe.
"I cannot explain any of the behaviour," Amati replied.
The prosecutor noted Ms Hacker was also attacked when she was not looking.
"Yes, I think it is incredibly cowardly," Amati said.
Evie Amati, 24, of Enmore, is accused of the axe attack in January. Photo / Facebook
But the 26-year-old denied his suggestion she remembered the attacks.
She also denied pretending to be unconscious when she was found in a nearby courtyard.
Mr McMahon noted the axe was located standing up against the wall, near where she had apparently collapsed to the ground.
"I cannot explain any of this behaviour," she said.
Amati testified that from late-2016 she had violent hallucinations involving an axe she had just bought and saw visions of herself running at police with it and being shot dead.
Mr McMahon asked why she didn't seek medical help.
In footage outside the store she is walking around with the weapon. Photo / supplied
The accused said when she'd previously asked for help over other visions she was told "because I had a job and played drums I'm fine".
"I was trying to cope by myself," she said.
"You expect the jury to accept you had specific hallucinations about using an axe and you didn't seek help over the entire month?" the prosecutor asked.
"Yes, because I sought help previously," she replied.
