Drug case against NCA bombing suspect Domenic Perre is weak and ‘should be thrown out’
A CANNABIS trafficking case against NCA bombing suspect Domenic Perre is weak and should be thrown out before it reaches trial, an Adelaide court has heard.
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A CANNABIS trafficking case against NCA bombing suspect Domenic Perre is weak and should be thrown out before it reaches trial, an Adelaide court has heard.
Perre, 60, has been in custody on cultivating and trafficking cannabis charges since a police raid on his Salisbury home in June.
Domenic’s arrest followed the arrests of his brother Francesco “Frank” Perre, sister-in-law Rita Perre, 52, and nephew Antonio Perre, 26, over the alleged cannabis racket.
Frank Perre, 56, has already pleaded guilty to four charges relating to the hidden cannabis grow room at Chaffey, near Renmark, in which they found 13kg of dried cannabis and a pump-action rifle.
Domenic Perre remains a suspect in the 1994 NCA bombing which killed detective Geoffrey Bowen and injured several others inside their Waymouth St office.
He was charged with murder but prosecutors later withdrew the charge, and the court has previously heard his latest arrest came as a result of information gleaned by Operation Cornus — which is focused on solving the NCA bombing case.
Domenic Perre’s lawyer James Noblet told Adelaide chief magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal he wanted to argue no case submissions as soon as possible.
Prosecutors on Tuesday told the court they needed eight weeks to finish transcribing a “large number” of telephone intercepts between Perre, his brother Francesco, sister in law Rita and nephew Antonio — as well as analyse DNA evidence.
Mr Noblet said such a delay was not acceptable, given his client remained in custody after being denied bail by a magistrate and then Chief Justice Chris Kourakis.
“This investigation commenced back in the beginning of they year, and police have been in possession of the intercepted calls or taps for some time now,” Mr Noblet said.
Mr Noblet unsuccessfully applied to have the no case submissions heard on September 27, when Domenic, Rita and Antonio Perre will likely enter not guilty pleas.
Craig Caldicott, who represents all the accused but Domenic Perre, said Rita Perre and Antonio Perre would also seek to have the charges against them thrown out before the case reached the District Court.
Prosecutors also asked Ms Hribal to revoke the bail of Frank Perre, arguing he would likely receive a significant prison term when he appears for sentencing in the District Court.
However, Mr Caldicott said Frank Perre was not at risk of absconding and had abided by all conditions of his bail since his arrest.
Mr Caldicott said if Frank Perre was taken into custody it could be two years before he was sentenced, if his three co-accused went to trial.
Ms Hribal ordered he surrender his passport to Berri police station by Wednesday afternoon and lodge a $1,000 cash surety with the court, but refused to revoke his bail.
Domenic Perre was remanded in continuing custody until at least late September.