Man stabbed Bourke Street terror attack relives moment he lay bleeding from slashed artery with wife

A father-of-two has broken his silence about the terrifying moment the Bourke Street terrorist slashed him across the face, cutting an artery and four layers of muscle.

Rodd Patterson, 58, from Tasmania, was struck by Hassan Khalif Shire Ali on November 9 as the 30-year-old unleashed a brutal attack in Melbourne’s CBD.  

The former businessman and retired firefighter told The Mercury he believed he was going to die and said his final goodbyes to his wife as he lay bleeding on the side of the street.

The 58-year-old had rushed to Ali’s ute after he drove it into a shopfront, causing it to burst into flames. 

Mr Patterson said he was concerned someone was trapped inside, but instead, found the driver’s side door open.

‘I took a couple of steps back to see if they’d been thrown out of the vehicle and that’s when I saw this person coming at me out of the corner of my left eye,’ he told the publication. 

Rodd Patterson (pictured, right), 58, has relived the moment he said his final goodbyes to his wife Maree (pictured, left) as he lay bleeding from the head following the Bourke St attack 

The father-of-two rushed to the attacker's ute to see if he needed help (pictured left with his wife)

The father-of-two rushed to the attacker’s ute to see if he needed help (pictured left with his wife)

Ali struck Mr Patterson with a knife, knocking him to the ground, before continuing his rampage.  

‘That’s when he went to the footpath and stabbed Sisto, I saw that, he was 10 metres away,’ he said in an interview with 7news.

Restaurant owner Sisto Malaspina, 74, tragically died of his injuries. 

‘I was in the middle of Bourke St screaming out for help – it felt like half an hour but it was just seconds,’ he said.

Ali hit Mr Patterson with the knife, knocking him to the ground, before continuing his rampage

His wife of 37 years, Maree, had been shopping in a nearby JB Hi-fi, but luckily managed to escape the crowds and reach her husband.

Mr Patterson remembers hearing his wife urge him to just ‘keep breathing’.

‘I knew I wasn’t in a good way, and we probably said our last goodbyes,’ he said.

Mr Patterson received a 10cm gash to his face, from his ear to his eye.

He received more than 120 internal and external stitches at The Alfred Hospital, but said the emotional trauma will take the longest to heal.

Despite the trauma of the event, Mr Patterson said he feels 'extremely lucky' and has nothing but praise for the police officers who responded to the attack

Despite the trauma of the event, Mr Patterson said he feels ‘extremely lucky’ and has nothing but praise for the police officers who responded to the attack

'The police involved, both during the incident and afterwards, were heroes ¿ when everyone else was rushing out, they rushed in,' Mr Patterson said

‘The police involved, both during the incident and afterwards, were heroes – when everyone else was rushing out, they rushed in,’ Mr Patterson said

‘People will see this on my head, but people won’t see the damage to my heart,’ he said. 

Despite the trauma of the event, Mr Patterson said he feels ‘extremely lucky’ and has nothing but praise for the police officers who responded to the attack.

‘The police involved, both during the incident and afterwards, were heroes – when everyone else was rushing out, they rushed in,’ he said.

He received more than 120 internal and external stitches at The Alfred Hospital, but said the emotional trauma will take the longest to heal

He received more than 120 internal and external stitches at The Alfred Hospital, but said the emotional trauma will take the longest to heal

 

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