SA court told police found nothing in home of murder suspect Domenic Perre linking him to fatal 1994 NCA bombing

Searches of NCA bombing suspect Domenic Perre’s home found nothing incriminating – but guns and detonators were seized from a key witness’s house, a trial has heard.

Domenic Perre has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder. Picture: NINE NEWS.

Police officers who scoured the home of alleged NCA bomber Domenic Perre found nothing that links him to the infamous crime, a court has heard.

The Supreme Court has also heard that, at a key prosecution witness’ home, police found “a Pandora’s box” of detonators and guns – and a stencil similar to that used to address parcel bomb.

Officers also found a number of books about how to “kill and severely injure” people including one called “The Poor Man’s James Bond”.

During cross-examination this week, Gilbert Aitken, for Perre, questioned former chief crime scene examiner Michael Thomas about his role in the bombing investigation.

He suggested police twice searched Perre’s home following the death of Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen, and the injuries sustained by lawyer Peter Wallis.

“As somebody intimately associated with investigating the provenance of the bomb and its componentry, you can stand here now and say none of the items seized from Perre’s address connect him to the device that killed Bowen?” he said.

Mr Thomas replied: “To the best of my knowledge, you are correct.”

Perre, 63, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Detective Sergeant Bowen and attempting to murder lawyer Mr Wallis.

Prosecutors allege that, motivated by “festering hatred”, Perre built and sent a parcel bomb to the NCA’s Adelaide office.

SA Police searched Perre’s home twice, once on March 11, 1994.

They allege almost three decades worth of police investigations prove Perre’s guilt.

His counsel, however, say the case is based on “folklore” not forensics and the testimony of self-interested prison informants seeking to claim a $1 million reward.

In cross-examination, Mr Aitken asked Mr Thomas about the police search of the home of Allan Chamberlain, who will give evidence later in the trial.

Chamberlain was, in 1994, a customer of the same firearms shop Perre frequented and undertook gunsmithing work for its owner.

Mr Aitken suggested police found detonators, detonator cords, books and firearms hidden in Mr Chamberlain’s stables, as well as a lettering stencil in his bedroom.

The trial has previously heard the address on the parcel bomb had been written using a lettering stencil.

Mr Aitken said the “Poor Man’s James Bond” book “contained specific instructions on not just how to kill people, but how to severely injure them” using “different methodologies”.

He said Mr Thomas had, during a prior court proceeding, described the discoveries as “a Pandora’s box for a person working in my field”.

“I take it you understand (that reference) to be a box that’s a source of a lot of unexpected trouble,” he asked Mr Thomas.

Mr Thomas replied: “Information and trouble, yes.”

The trial, before Justice Kevin Nicholson, continues.