The Smiling Dentist - A Broken System

Earlier this year, police shot and killed Steven Lim. He was holding a knife during the confrontation.

Tragic as that was, he should never have been on the streets. The justice system failed yet again. Here is why.

Steven Lin was a celebrity dentist. He had six children. He was the founder and former CEO of the Central Coast-based dentistry clinic Helix Group. He had authored several books.

In 2024, he began using methamphetamine regularly after his marriage ended. He also ended his connection with Helix Group later that year.

Lin faced multiple charges related to domestic violence.

The charges included:

• Assault causing bodily harm

• Breaching an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO)

• Stalking or intimidating someone to instill fear

• Choking

The celebrity dentist's ex-wife shared details about affairs, secrets, and abuse in their marriage. She revealed he had a child without her knowing. This "shattered the trust" between them and led to their marriage's breakup.

He had previously violently attacked a man but was let out on bail.  The man had tried to prevent Lin from entering his property. Lin had mumbled, “I’m gonna kill you." He then hit the man across the face with a metal pole. The man tried to block Lin from racing up the front staircase. But Lin threw him over the railing. He fell onto the concrete footpath below.

The man got back inside his house and called the police. Lin didn’t flee until he heard the sirens.  He was eventually found by the police almost an hour later, partially buried in a nearby backyard. He had dug a hole in the garden and buried himself with leaves. According to the police, all you could see were his eyeballs. It was like he was living out a fantasy from a Rambo movie.

The man managed to get back inside his house, where he called the police. When Lin heard the sirens, he fled. A fractured scapula, five broken ribs, a fractured cheekbone, a broken finger, and a broken toe.

Lin faced court but was let out on bail.  It was while he was on bail for this and the previous string of charges that he allegedly attacked two women.  Armed with a knife, he entered a Sydney apartment.  He assaulted one woman in the laundry room and another inside her unit.

Both women had serious injuries to their faces and heads. They were taken to the hospital in stable condition. A man who lived next door said he heard a muffled woman's voice plead for "help" multiple times.

Officers yelled out "drop the knife” several times, but Lin did not yield and was shot dead by police.

The investigation showed that the officers acted correctly in a "very violent" situation. Some of the officers involved are still traumatised by the incident.

One man is dead, and another is badly injured. Two women were attacked and traumatised. A group of police officers also suffered trauma. This all happened because the court didn’t do the right thing.

In Australia and many other countries, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Detaining someone before trial has significant legal, practical, and human rights impacts. It lets the accused keep their job, stay in their home, and support their family. This also cuts the costs of imprisonment.

Bail has conditions to protect families and society.  That is, you will behave like a “normal” human being and not commit any further crimes. Whether it is a privilege or a right is debatable, but either way it should not be abused.

Each week, police handle individuals granted bail who reoffend within days. In many cases, these individuals have multiple active matters before the courts. In Australia, breaking orders was the third most common crime in courts. They made up 10% of adult court appearances.

These vary in severity. For example, four teens on bail for previous crimes were charged with stealing several vehicles while on bail. Two teenage girls aged 14 and 16, both on bail, were charged after a pursuit that ended in a crash. Charges included aggravated dangerous driving, theft, assaulting police, and breach of bail.

One serious example of an offender on bail committing more crimes is the Lindt Café siege in 2014. The gunman held 18 people captive and ordered three of them. He was on bail for the 2013 death of his former wife and 40 charges of sexual assault relating to alleged offences.

Is it asking too much of a court to follow a guideline?

If a person has breached a previous bail, they do not get a second chance at bail. This applies to everyone, regardless of age, sex, nationality, sexual orientation, mental health, or drug use.

The evidence shows that repeat offenders who breach bail are likely to do so again. They might also commit more serious crimes.

Till next time,

Calvin