Evie Amati, accused of terrifying 7-Eleven axe attack caught on video, faces court

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Evie Amati, the transgender woman charged with a terrifying 7-Eleven axe attack that was captured on video, suffered from psychosis and hallucinations which told her to kill, an Australian court has heard.

Ms Amati, 24, has had fresh charges added and had an existing charge upgraded to causing wounding with intent to murder.

Her lawyer Charles Waterstreet told Sydney Central Local Court that Ms Amati was suffering from psychosis, delusions and hallucinations "saying kill".

Mr Watersteet said Ms Amati was on "a large amount" of antidepressants, hormonal drugs and another drug given to her "by a third person" at the time of the alleged attack.

The court also heard that her alleged attack included "additional victims".

Ms Amati, who will apply for bail in two weeks, did not appear via video link from Silverwater Women's Prison in Central Local Court before Magistrate Les Mabbutt.

Ms Amati has been in custody since her arrest in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Police initially charged the union employee with two counts of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm the alleged attack on two customers at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Enmore, in Sydney's inner west.

Police allege Ms Amati is the woman who strolled into the suburban store with an axe and carried out the attack in a terrifying video exclusively revealed by news.com.au.

CCTV footage shows the bloody rampage second by second as it takes place inside the shop on a busy suburban road about 2.20am on Saturday.

Ms Amati is now facing five charges including two of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent to murder and one of attempting to cause wounding with intent to murder.

The woman steps over Ms Hacker with the axe and leaves the 7-Eleven premises while Ben Rimmer sits stunned in his own blood on the shop floor. Photo / News.com.au

The third alleged victim, Shane Redwood, police say was attacked in Stanmore Road immediately after the incident inside the 7-Eleven.

Ms Amati has been charged with attempting to cause wounding with intent to murder Mr Redwood.

Ms Amati's five charges include the two of cause wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent to murder Sharon Hacker and Benjamin Rimmer.

She also faces the original charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm against Mr Rimmer and causing grievous bodily harm with intent against Ms Hacker.

The woman steps over Ms Hacker with the axe and leaves the 7-Eleven premises while Ben Rimmer sits stunned in his own blood on the shop floor. Photo / News.com.au

Outside the court, Mr Water street said Ms Amati had no memory of the alleged attack.

He said she was "well" in Silverwater women's jail where she was receiving ongoing treatment.

He said she was musically talented, a high achiever and that the alleged offences were totally out of character.

She will apply for bail on February 2.

News.com.au also exclusively revealed that Evie Amati, an Enmore resident before her arrest, was a punk band drummer and Community and Public Sector Union organiser named Karl before transitioning to a woman five years ago.

At her last appearance in court, Ms Amati requested she be supplied with the hormonal drugs, oestrogen booster Progynova, and Spractin, a testosterone suppressor.

HOW ALLEGED ATTACK PLAYED OUT ON CCTV

The CCTV video of the attack shows a young blonde woman wearing black shorts, a dark singlet top, black sandshoes and, in her right hand, a long-handled black and red axe, enter the 7-Eleven.

The 7-Eleven is lit up and has a customer waiting at the cash register.

Evie Amati (above), formerly known as Karl, transitioned to woman over four years ago after announcing it to friends on Facebook. Photo / Facebook

Sharon Hacker, 43, who has distinctive long coloured dreadlocks is paying for milk.

Ms Hacker is soon to be joined by Benjamin Rimmer, 32, who is buying a pie.

When the blonde woman appears again into camera view, she chats casually for several seconds with Mr Rimmer, who at one point touches the axe and appears to make a joke.

Her back to the camera, the blonde woman has a knife protruding from the back pocket of her shorts.

At 2.20:44am, the woman swings the axe and brings it down on Mr Rimmer's head.

He collapses backwards across the shop floor.

Four seconds later, the woman brings the axe down on the back of Ms Hacker's head and she collapses through the door as the woman swings the axe again at Ms Hacker and brings it down.

Then the woman steps over Ms Hacker and strides out onto the bitumen parking bays and away.

Mr Rimmer, who is in a pool of his own blood, tries to get himself together while Ms Hacker manages to pull herself up to stagger back into the shop.

Police converge on Stanmore Rd and a short time later a police dog allegedly finds Ms Amati lying in the front yard of a property along the road.

An axe allegedly nearby is seized and Ms Amati is arrested and handcuffed and taken to St Vincent's Hospital for assessment.

Ms Hacker was later released from hospital with a fractured skull and Mr Rimmer was kept in for more serious head injuries.

In June 2012 on her Facebook page, Ms Amati declared that she "has wanted to be a girl for a while now".

She discussed composing a "coming out" email to announce her transition to work mates at the union, which is based in Haymarket near Sydney's Chinatown.

On Facebook in September 2012, she announced she would be starting hormone therapy, writing, "Today I gained approval to start hormone replacement therapy. Trans ftw! Boobs: here I come!"