A man has been charged with murder following a stabbing attack witnessed by horrified onlookers in a crowded Sydney shopping centre.
Police yesterday charged the 35-year-old after arresting him in Parramatta mall near the body of his alleged 40-year-old victim who was found with a knife lodged in his chest.
The accused man has been refused bail and will appear at Parramatta Local Court today.
Dozens of shoppers, families, and children on school holidays were shocked to witness what police say was a targeted attack.
The drama unfolded about 10.30am after a Parramatta man apparently approached another man outside Myer on level four of the mall and an argument broke out.
A witness who did not want to be named said he saw the confrontation from level five.
He told AAP the attacker taunted police officers at the scene while repeatedly stabbing his victim with a large knife.
"He kept plunging the knife in his chest, in and out, and paced up and down the shopping centre screaming at police," he said, adding that the man was stabbed three to four times.
"He taunted the police, saying `what are you scared of?'"
The man eventually left the knife in the man's chest before police moved in to arrest him.
The witness said the knife looked to be about 30cm long and the ordeal lasted about 20 minutes.
"Everyone was very scared and begging for somebody to stop the attack," he said.
"There was blood everywhere."
Emergency services arrived to find the body of a man inside the shopping centre with multiple stab wounds to the chest.
Following the stabbing, the alleged attacker took off his shirt, lit a cigarette and started talking on his mobile phone.
He was taken to Parramatta police station.
Acting superintendent Jennifer Scholz said police were investigating whether the fight was over a former girlfriend of the attacker.
She said the attack was targeted, a "one-off and not bikie-related", and the two men were "connected".
Act Supt Scholz said police drew their Tasers but didn't fire.
"There's no need for anybody to be concerned in regards to their safety," she told reporters.
She praised the quick response of the mall's security staff, who closed off the area.
Shops near the stabbing incident were in lockdown.
A woman who saw the attack was treated by emergency staff for shock.
Westfield is providing counselling services for employees, retailers and customers.
