Bizarre moment police find fallen celebrity dentist Steven Lin in his underwear half-buried in a suburban backyard: 'Like something out of a movie'

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and KYLIE STEVENS, SENIOR BREAKING NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and JONICA BRAY Published: 15:45, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 15:45, 29 June 2026 New police bodycam footage has emerged of a celebrity dentist half-buried in a garden after he assaulted a stranger, months before he was gunned down by police. Dr Steven Lin, 41, was shot and killed by police after he attacked two women at a building on St Neot Ave in Potts Point, east Sydney, about 10.50am on March 3. When he died aged 41, Lin had a disturbing history of stalking, assault, choking, and repeatedly breaching apprehended violence orders. Friends claim his drug-fuelled behaviour spiralled following the breakdown of his marriage, amid affairs, deception and increasingly erratic conduct. Lin had attacked two women, Chloe Paul and her neighbour Christine Campeau, with a knife before being killed by police. It's now been revealed that Lin was on bail after attacking another stranger, Nick Skarvelis, just 10 months prior. Mr Skarvelis recalled the May 2025 attack in an interview with A Current Affair on Monday and said Lin had a 'look in his eyes, like he wanted to kill me'. The homeowner had been on the front balcony of his property in Wollongong, south of Sydney, when he saw Lin emerge from bushes across the road. An altercation followed and Lin vanished back into the bushes where he tried to hide from cops. Dr Steven Lin (pictured with his ex-wife) was a celebrity dentist before his drug addiction Lin (above) was found half-buried in a backyard by police in May 2025 after he attacked a complete stranger, Nick Skarvelis, in Wollongong, and then tried to camouflage himself In the altercation, when he approached and asked Lin if he was alright, the celebrity dentist told Mr Skarvelis 'I'm going to kill you'. Lin then hit Mr Skarvelis across the face with a metal pole. Mr Skarvelis attempted to escape by running back up the stairs to his balcony, only for Lin to throw him over the railing. 'I had a fractured scapula, five broken ribs. I broke a pinky [finger], broke a toe … and a fractured cheekbone,' Mr Skarvelis said. Mr Skarvelis managed to get inside his home and called police for help. Lin eventually fled when he heard the sirens approaching. NSW Police found Lin about an hour later, partially buried in a nearby backyard and stripped to his underwear. Newly-released bodycam footage showed Lin denied attacking Mr Skarvelis and instead claimed he'd been out on a run. 'I was just going for a run and then there was police. I just felt a bit weird … I just kind of skipped into the bush and I laid down,' Lin told officers during his arrest. Mr Skarvelis was stunned by the bizarre video. Lin was shot by police in March after attacking Sydney women Chloe Paul (left) and Christine Campeau (right) 'Dug a hole in the garden and buried himself with leaves and everything … it was just his eyeballs you could see. It was like the movies,' he said. Lin was charged with assault before being released on bail. Just 10 months later he would attack Ms Campeau and Ms Paul. It is understood Dr Lin was armed with a knife when he wandered into a communal laundry room at the unit complex, where he stabbed one of the women in the face. He then forced his way into another resident's unit and attacked her before barricading himself inside. Police initially attempted to Taser Dr Lin before an officer was forced to fire a shot from his gun after he lunged at them. The father-of-six could not be revived at the scene. Both women now want answers as to why Lin was granted bail after the serious assault on Mr Skarvelis. Ms Paul was sure Lin would have 'more victims' had he not been shot by police during the rampage in March (pictured are emergency personnel at the scene) 'I'm glad he's not still out there because there'd be more victims, for sure,' Ms Paul said. Lin became a superstar dentist after authoring his global bestseller The Dental Diet about the importance of dental health and good nutrition for brain function and overall wellness. He had given TED talks, owned two successful practices on the NSW Central Coast and often flew to the US to appear on TV talk shows about his specialist field. But then the pressure of his fame caused him to spiral into an ultimately fatal meth habit, which cost him everything.  During his addiction, he threatened to kill his ex-wife and mother of his five children, as well as the woman with whom he had an affair and fathered a sixth child. 'I will slit your throat and rip your head off and hang your body in the garage,' Lin had told his wife in September 2024 during an earlier ice bender. By then, the Lins had already separated, and she was continuing their practice with a new dentist. In addition to trying to keep the business running, she was also caring for their young children in the family's $5million home on the Central Coast. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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