Australian newscaster, on air, breaks down as she discovers that she has close ties to one of the victims killed during the Sydney hostage siege. Newscaster Natalie Barr, wept as she talked about Katrina Dawson, a mother of three, who was killed at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe as she was trying to shield a pregnant friend.
Australian newscaster breaks down on air upon discovering that she knew the family of one of the victims killed during the Sydney hostage siege.
On Tuesday, newscaster Natalie Barr, who works on Channel Seven’s Sunrise, was reporting on the Sydney 16-hour siege that occurred over the weekend, where 17 people were held hostage and two of them lost their lives.
While talking about the hero-victims, Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson, the newscaster was unable to control her tears as she revealed that the mother of three was a wonderful lawyer whose brother, Sandy Dawson, worked for the network. A very distraught Barr, said:
“Katrina Dawson was the sister of a prominent barrister Sandy Dawson who has done some work for Channel Seven.I know (him) and have friends who know, she was a mother of three children. I’m just finding this out this morning.”
Unable to finish her statement, her co-host presenter, David Koch, stepped in to add that the entire nation is mourning with the families of the innocent victims.
Johnson, the manager of the cafe, was killed as he tried to grab the gun from the kidnapper in order to protect his workers and clients.
Dawson, 38, who leaves three young children, Chloe, Sasha, Oliver and husband Paul Smith behind, was gunned down by hostage-taker, Man Haron Monis, as she tried to save her friend Julie Taylor who is 19 weeks pregnant. Monis was later killed by the police.
Dawson was a student at Ascham, a private girls school in Sydney. In 1994, she topped the state in the Higher School Certificate with a TER of 100.
Katrina Dawson completed a law degree at the University of Sydney and a Masters in law at the University of NSW.
Friends and family members say Dawson was a brilliant commercial lawyer, who taught young students, how to prepare for mock trials; she loved to play hockey and basketball. The New South Wales Bar Association issued a statement after Dawson’s death that read:
“Katrina was one of our best and brightest barristers who will be greatly missed by her colleagues and friends at the NSW Bar.She was a devoted mother of three children and a valued member of her floor and of our bar community.”
Australian newscaster breaks down on air, as an entire country mourns and searches for answers.
