A “transgender” aboriginal woman charged over an alleged Melbourne CBD stabbing attack that shocked the city has had her bail revoked just two days after she was released to a hospital.
Lauren Darul, 33, was granted bail in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Wednesday after Justice Rita Incerti took into account her indigeneity, long history of mental illness and homelessness, and claims to be “transitioning” to male.
But on Friday prosecutor Richard Pirrie successfully applied to revoke bail based on a new medical report and letter, and Justice Incerti ruled the previous plan was “not feasible” and did not provide protection for the community, the Herald Sun reported.
The judge then told Darul that once she was considered fit for discharge from the Thomas Embling Hospital she would be returned to the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre women’s prison.
Darul is facing multiple charges over the alleged unprovoked stabbing of Asian sushi chef Wan Lai, 36, at 7.30am on October 2, leaving her alleged victim with a punctured lung and sparking public outrage after CCTV of the alleged attack emerged weeks later.
On Wednesday the court heard she was transferred to the hospital on December 11 to be placed on clozapine for medication-resistant schizophrenia, and a psychiatrist said she would need to spend up to 18 weeks there under assessment.
In granting bail during that hearing Justice Incerti noted that Darul recently decided to “transition” to male and now uses “he/him” pronouns, and referred to her as “Mr Darul”.
Mr Pirrie opposed bail on the grounds that Darul was on bail at the time of the alleged stabbing, had nine prior bail breach offences, and had been issued with 16 warrants for failing to appear on bail, and argued she faced up to seven years’ jail for the alleged stabbing.
A court previously heard Darul was allegedly involved in five separate crimes in the three months leading up to the alleged attack on Ms Lai, including allegedly spitting in the face of a 10-year-old boy who was walking with his family near Melbourne Aquarium. She later blamed her daily methamphetamine use.
Header image: Left, Lauren Darul (Facebook). Right, the alleged stabbing (7News).
