A woman accused of stabbing a stranger on a Melbourne CBD footpath has been refused bail, with a magistrate ruling the community would be placed at unacceptable risk if she was released.
Lauren Darul, 32, is charged with intentionally and recklessly causing injury over the incident on October 2, when she allegedly stabbed a woman who was on her way to work.
The incident was captured on CCTV, and showed victim Wan Lai collapsing on the ground and being helped by passers-by.
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On Wednesday, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tim Bourke said Ms Darul had “complex psychiatric illnesses”, faced homelessness and had several outstanding cases before the courts.
He said Ms Darul had been managed by various support services “without much success”.
“There is only so much services can do with her and proposals for the ‘wrapping around’ of services upon her release are on a voluntary basis,” he said.
More than a dozen warrants out for accused’s arrest
Magistrate Bourke said Ms Darul had “a history of being elusive and difficult to engage” and had previously had 16 warrants out for her arrest for failing to appear on bail.
The magistrate said, if convicted over the CBD incident, Ms Darul faced jail time.
“This offending is serious,” he said.
Ms Darul will remain in custody and will next face court in January.
According to court documents, Ms Darul was listed as a registered sex offender in 2023.
One of her cases before the courts includes allegations she threatened a 7-Eleven worker with an imitation handgun in 2024.
Prosecutors claimed there was an “escalation” in her behaviour, including spitting in a 10-year-old boy’s face in June this year and scratching another person with a knife.
The court heard Lauren Darul has previously been accused of threatening a retail worker with a fake handgun. (Facebook)
Yesterday, Victoria Police First Constable Damien Elliott told the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court the alleged October 2025 stabbing attack appeared to be random.
At the time, Ms Darul was also carrying a soccer ball, the officer said.
“The victim was extremely distressed, she was crying, she was calling out in distress,” he said.
He told the court the alleged victim had suffered a punctured right lung but this was disputed by Ms Darul’s defence lawyer, who said the woman’s lung remained inflated.
“The accused stabbed someone at 7.30 in the morning in broad daylight,” Constable Elliott said.
“The attack, as well is extremely chilling to watch, the random nature of the attack increases the risk of future offending.
“There was no financial or other reason of why she committed the offence of stabbing the victim. She simply stabbed her and left the scene.”
The stabbing victim was so frightened at the prospect of Ms Darul being freed on bail that she had moved house, the court heard.
Police told the court Ms Darul was holding the alleged weapon in her hand when they found her following the attack. (Supplied: Melbourne Magistrates Court)
Constable Elliott said after the alleged stabbing, Ms Darul returned to community housing, where police found her in the foyer with the alleged weapon still in her hand.
“The accused produced a 10cm silver kitchen knife and threw it on the ground,” said Constable Elliott, who was also asked by Ms Darul’s defence lawyer whether she was compliant with police.
“She had a taser pointed at her, which tends to make people compliant.”
Court hears of alleged attacker’s lifelong mental health issues
The court heard Ms Darul lived with bipolar disorder, had previously abused alcohol and used the drug ice several times a day.
She likely had an acquired brain injury and lifelong mental health issues, the court heard.
At one point during the hearing, Ms Darul, who appeared by video link from the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, waved at the camera and told the court she wanted to “clean up” her life and “stay off the drugs”.
Her bail application was opposed by police, who argued she posed an unacceptable risk of reoffending.
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Defence lawyer Ashlee McPhail told the magistrate that if her client was denied bail, Ms Darul would ultimately return to being homeless.
“She’s a woman with very serious mental health issues,” Ms McFarlane said.
Court documents reveal Ms Darul is facing a host of other charges for unrelated incidents, including attacking an e-scooter rider, damaging cars and a motorbike, breaking shop windows, breaching bail and failing to comply with court orders.
According to police documents, she is also accused of stealing bottles of wine.
“What did you intend to do with the bottle of wine?” an officer asked her during a police interview.
“Drink it,” she replied.
