Domenic Perre pleads not guilty to murder, attempted murder over 1994 NCA bombing
More than 25 years after a bomb ripped apart an office at the top level of the National Crime Authority building in Adelaide’s CBD – killing Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen – long-time suspect Domenic Perre has pleaded not guilty.
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After more than 25 years, a dropped case, a coronial inquest, multiple cold case reviews and even a $1 million reward, the infamous NCA bombing case is finally going to trial.
On Monday, Domenic Perre pleaded not guilty to murdering Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and attempting to murder lawyer Peter Wallis.
It is the first time since the 1994 explosion that Perre, a longtime suspect in the incident, has been required to answer the charges.
An earlier attempt to prosecute him was dropped that same year – despite a later coronial ruling that he was likely responsible for the fatal postal bomb.
On Monday, the court heard Perre’s pleas did not amount to a concession – by him or his counsel – that the case had become any more compelling over time.
They argued nothing, including 16,000 pages of subpoenaed material still to come, amounted to any “material change” in the allegations since their client’s initial arrest.
Perre, 61, is accused of murdering Detective Sergeant Bowen and attempting to murder Mr Wallis in the March 2, 1994, explosion on Waymouth St.
He was first arrested nine days after the incident and, in August 1994, a magistrate ruled the evidence was sufficient to warrant a trial.
However, just one month later, then-Director of Public Prosecutions Paul Rofe QC dropped the charges, saying there was “not a reasonable prospect of conviction”.
A 1999 inquest by then-Coroner, now Judge Wayne Chivell disagreed, finding Perre was most likely the person who had posted a parcel bomb to the NCA offices.
Mr Rofe’s successor, Stephen Pallaras QC, opted not to resurrect the prosecution in 2006.
SA Police launched a cold case review was launched in 2007, a $1 million reward for information offered in 2008, and a second review in 2015.
That led to what detectives dubbed “vital new evidence” in 2016 – which was sent to the Netherlands for DNA analysis – and Perre’s second arrest in March 2018.
The fatal 1994 NCA bombing in Adelaide
Since that time, Perre’s legal team has fought to have aspects of the prosecution case thrown out prior to trial.
In July, they claimed the only new evidence against their client came from “a conga line” of informants “motivated by self-interest”.
In October, it was revealed one of the people offering information was murderer and rapist Jonathon Bakewell, who had just been paroled for a fifth time.
On Monday, Perre shuffled into the court’s dock from custody, surrounded by four guards and wearing a white sling on one of his arms.
When asked to enter his pleas, he responded “not guilty” in a loud voice.
Gilbert Aitken, for Perre, said the legal team “conceded there was a case to answer” and the matter should progress to the Supreme Court.
“In about two weeks, we expect to receive further materials from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission … there’s about 16,000 pages of that to come,” he said.
“The defence position, being cognisant of materials yet to come and that which we’ve read, is that there is no material change in the case against my client.
“The only change is the emergence of these so-called informants and their evidence.”
Magistrate Brett Dixon remanded Perre in custody to face the Supreme Court next month, when a timetable for the trial will be sent.