Photo: Tori Johnson's mother, Rosie Connellan, was a constant presence at the coronial inquest

Sydney siege: Families criticise 'outrageous' police tactics

(Translation of this article appears in Arabic section)

The families of two hostages who died in the Sydney cafe siege have criticised police over their handling of the incident.

In December 2014, self-styled Islamist Man Haron Monis held 18 people hostage inside a Lindt cafe in the city centre.

Heavily armed police stormed the building 17 hours later after Monis shot cafe manager Tori Johnson.

Relatives of Mr Johnson and Katrina Dawson, who was also killed, said police had put their lives in danger.

 Tori Johnson's mother, Rosie Connellan, was a constant presence at the coronial inquest

The families said they were shocked by revelations at an inquest that police had planned to intervene only if the gunman killed or injured someone.

"I'll never be able understand how you can make a calculated decision that you wait for someone to die," Mr Johnson's mother, Rosie Connellan, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC).

New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes will hand down his findings into the 18-month inquest on Wednesday.