Break for police in Lindt inquest

Senior police will continue giving evidence about their management of the Lindt Cafe siege when hearings resume after a break.

Police will seek to have some officers give parts of their evidence in private hearings, to avoid revealing police tactics and methodology and for their personal safety.

Further discussions around public and private hearings are expected when the inquest into the December 2014 hostage crisis continues on April 26 (Tuesday).

Assistant Commissioner Michael Fuller is expected to be the next to give evidence, following Superintendent Allan Sicard, the forward commander in the early hours of the siege who finished his evidence on Tuesday.

He defended the police decision not to storm the cafe where Man Haron Monis was holding 18 people hostage in the first two hours he was in charge, saying he didn't see the situation escalating to a point where the emergency action plan had to be implemented.

Supt Sicard also acknowledged that police were concerned if they took out Monis early on the suspected bomb in his backpack could have detonated, causing unnecessary hostage deaths.

The siege reached its deadly conclusion after 17 hours when officers stormed the Martin Place building following Monis' point-blank execution of Tori Johnson.

Monis was gunned down, while barrister and mother-of-three Katrina Dawson also died after being hit by shrapnel from police rounds when they entered the cafe.