Davoren Park grandfather Aaron Ellis pleads guilty to bomb charges
An Adelaide grandfather whose home was raided by bomb squad officers in April – where police said they found the highly volatile substance known as “Mother of Satan” – has confessed to his crimes in court.
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A northern suburbs grandfather who was found with homemade explosives in his shed, sparking a raid by bomb squad officers, has confessed to his crimes.
In the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday, Aaron Ellis, 43, of Davoren Park pleaded guilty to two counts of taking steps to manufacture an explosive.
He also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing instructions on how to make a bomb.
Bomb squad officers raided Ellis’ Heytesbury Rd home in April and, at the time, police allege they found a highly volatile substance known as “Mother of Satan” stored in a container inside a freezer in his shed.
It has the chemical name of TATP triacetone triperoxide and it prompted the controlled detonation of the substance – in four, 10-minute intervals – on the afternoon of the raid.
Police said the incident was “not terrorism-related” while Ellis’ family said he was a “loving man” with a “passion for chemistry” and making smoke bombs.
His counsel, meanwhile, dubbed him a man with a “curiosity” for chemistry and physics with no intent of causing harm nor damaging property.
Ellis appeared before Magistrate Jay McGrath via video link on Friday and pleaded guilty to all three charges levelled against him.
He was remanded in custody to face the District Court in January, when a date for sentencing submissions will be set.