Transgender axe attacker, 26, who hacked away at two shoppers inside a 7-Eleven is found guilty of attempted murder

• A woman has been found guilty of attempting to murder two people with an axe
• The transgender woman attacked a man and woman at a 7-Eleven in Enmore
• The woman also attacked another man outside the inner west convenience store
• The NSW District Court jury found her guilty of all three charges laid against her
• The court rejected the woman's claim that it was the result of her mental illness

A transgender woman has been found guilty of attempting to murder two people at a Sydney convenience store and another on the street.

Evie Amati, 26, pleaded not guilty to attacking Benjamin Rimmer and Sharon Hacker with an axe at a 7-Eleven store in Enmore before wounding Shane Redwood on the street in the early hours of January 7, 2017. 

But the NSW District Court rejected the woman's claims that she was suffering from mental illness and found her guilty of all three charges laid against her. 

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Ms Amati's lawyer claimed that when she carried out the attacks she was suffering from a drug-induced state as a result of taking recreational drugs. 

She told the court that just before the attack she heard voices that told her to 'kill and maim' and 'start the rise of hell on earth'.

In a previous hearing the court heard that Amati had not proved she was experiencing a psychosis at the time of the attack, but rather she had a deep-seated hatred for people.

The prosecution told the court that Amati believed people were 'repulsed' by her because she was transgender and that the attack was deliberate while under the influence of drugs.

CCTV footage of the viscous attack showed Amati casually walking into the convenience store carrying an axe before standing next to Benjamin Rimmer, who was in line behind another customer, Sharon Hacker.

In the video, Amati is seen swinging the axe twice onto the face of Mr Rimmer, knocking him to the ground, before hitting Ms Hacker, who also falls to the ground. 

Blood is seen gushing from Mr Rimmer's head, as he tries to evade Amati, and he removes his t-shirt to absorb the blood and seal his head wound.

The court also heard evidence from Amati's third victim, Shane Redwood, who told the jury, via audio visual link from the UK, that he was across the road when he saw a woman hit another woman with what he thought was a baseball bat.

Mr Redwood said it was only after approaching the store to offer his assistance that he realised Amati was wielding an axe, at which point she began swinging the axe in his direction.  

He told the jury that Amati's repeated attempts to hit him with the axe was so intense that she knocked the backpack he was using to shield himself out of his hands.

The court also heard that the 26-year-old had told a new acquaintance, whom she met on a dating app, that she was intending on murdering people. 

Mickila Jahnsen said she met Amati on Tinder just hours before the attack, and had drinks with her and friends before each of them took a capsule believed to be ecstasy.

She added that after their chance encounter, Amati had messaged her about her intentions, and that she 'freaked out' at the Facebook message, which read: 'One day I will kill a lot of people and it will be your fault'.  

The 26-year-old, dressed in prison greens, sobbed as Judge Williams handed down the guilty verdict, and Mr Rimmer was in the public gallery to her the news.

Judge Williams added that Amati's case will yet again face the court for sentencing on September 12.