Man charged with plotting to blow up Ocean View College asks court to send him bomb-making instructions in prison
A man who allegedly threatened to blow up an Adelaide school says his explosive chemicals were for “alternative medicine” – and wants 1200 pages of bomb-making instructions sent to him in jail.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Man ‘built bomb, threatened to blow up high school’, court told
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
A man who allegedly threatened to blow up a suburban Adelaide high school says the explosive chemicals found in his house were for “alternative medicine stuff”, not violent retribution.
Bradley Wayne Austin last week asked his case be thrown out, saying 1200 pages of bomb-making instructions found in his home were obtained through a Freedom of Information request.
He also requested those documents be sent immediately to him in prison so he can defend himself against allegations he intended to destroy Ocean View College at Taperoo.
“There’s not enough evidence to put me on trial … those chemicals were to be used for medicinal purposes,” he said.
“I had nurses come to my house to do work on my body … it was alternative medicine stuff, bought legally.
“I applied for the documents under Freedom of Information for a matter in the Federal Court, and that court’s judgment clearly states I was to be given the documents.”
Kathryn McDonald, prosecuting, said Austin’s request should be refused.
“On the hard drives of his laptop, phone and iPad were 1200 documents with titles like ‘homemade explosives’,” she said.
“I understand Austin does not have these documents now, but there’s no way my office will be sending bomb-making documents into a prison.”
Austin, 68, of North Haven, has pleaded not guilty to taking steps to manufacture explosives, unlawfully possessing to build a bomb and threatening to kill or endanger life.
The charges arise from an alleged multi-year feud between Austin and teenagers in the western suburbs, conducted both in person and online.
Prosecutors allege that feud escalated in February last year when Austin posted an online bomb threat accompanied by a photograph of the college.
At the time, police said there was “no doubt” he “had the capacity to make a homemade bomb” but had yet to finish an improvised explosive device, or IED, when arrested.
Austin spent time in a hospital’s geriatric wing before he was transferred to prison, where he has been held since.
Last week, Austin told the court he did not intend to hire a lawyer to represent him.
Magistrate Elizabeth Sheppard said she was satisfied Austin had a case to answer, and remanded him in custody to face the District Court in August.