Sydney café hostage was killed by fragments of police bullet, inquest told

A hostage who died during the Sydney cafe siege was killed by fragments of a police bullet as armed officers moved to end the 16-hour stand-off, an inquest has been told.

Katrina Dawson, 38, who was among 18 people taken hostage by a gunman last month, died after being hit by six fragments of the bullet that ricocheted off a hard surface, Jeremy Gormly, a lawyer assisting the coroner, told Glebe Coroner's Court. The bullet struck a major blood vessel and she quickly lost consciousness, he said.