Geoffrey Bowen’s son Matt joins the WA police force in his dad’s footsteps

The son of the police officer killed in the notorious NCA building bombing has joined the force – saying he was inspired by his dad.

The son of a senior police officer killed in the Adelaide NCA bombing says his father inspired him to join the force.

Matt Bowen this week became the sixth member of his family to join the Western Australia Police Force, and was seven years old when his father was killed in the Waymouth Street National Crime Authority bombing in 1994.

Domenic Perre was last month finally convicted over the murder of Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and attempt murder of lawyer Peter Wallis after 28 years.

Supreme Court Justice Kevin Nicholson found Perre guilty of the crime, with a mandatory non-parole period of 20 years.

Geoffrey Bowen's son Matt has graduated the WA police academy. Picture: WA Police

“It was a pretty terrible time, I remember the day pretty well, I remember being yanked out of a swimming lesson in primary school in mid morning, and being taken home and told what had happened,” Mr Bowen said.

“That’s obviously the worst news you could be given at that young age and I learnt that the world was probably not as nice a place as you once thought.”

Despite being exposed to such a traumatic life event, Mr Bowen has never been deterred from the idea of becoming a police officer.

Matt Bowen has become a police officer in Western Australia. Picture: Supplied

Detective Sergeant Geoff Bowen.

Detective Sergeant Geoff Bowen with his sons Matthew and Simon.

“My father was a detective sergeant in the WA Police Force and it was definitely an inspiration and a key thing for me to achieve a similar thing to him,” he said.

“I just saw the enjoyment and real pleasure he got out of doing the job, and the close friends that he had that were around the house and things like that at the time.”

Mr Bowen was happy to have seen justice for his father last month.

Congratulations Matt, your father would be so proud 🥹💙 https://t.co/UrfGp5sdiO

— South Australia Police (@SAPoliceNews) August 11, 2022

“It’s really a sweet moment for me to be graduating and joining the family within the ranks of another bigger, blue family, especially with the case with my father being resolved during my time at the Academy as well,” he said.

SA Police shared a tweet announcing Mr Bowen’s graduation, and commented: “congratulations Matt, your father would be so proud”.