Gary Middleton charged over Gosford Legal Aid, Conditsis Lawyers bombings

A man was due to be sentenced in Gosford District Court on Friday, but instead he was arrested and charged in relation to two bombings outside law buildings in the city’s CBD 24 hours earlier.

A man has been charged in relation to the Gosford legal bombings hours after he was due to front court on a separate matter.

Gary Steven Middleton, 66, was due to face Gosford District Court at 2pm on Friday, but was instead arrested by police at his Wallarah home about half an hour earlier.

Gosford Courthouse staff were on high alert on Friday with extra security, sheriffs and plain clothes detectives on hand should he arrive at court.

It came as police remained across the road from the courthouse processing a crime scene established the previous day following a bombing of the third floor of the Kensmen building, which houses the offices of Conditsis & Associates Lawyers.

According to court documents, Conditsis & Associates was the law firm which acted on the man’s behalf and instructed his barrister in an unrelated matter.

The Legal Aid building in Gosford was evacuated after an explosion.

This masthead understands Conditsis & Associates was retained by a grant from Legal Aid, which funded his defence.

However police have confirmed they arrested a man around 1.30pm on Friday at an address in Wallarah.

An image released by NSW Police on Thursday of a man they wished to speak with in relation to the incident. Picture: NSW Police

He was taken to Wyong Police Station where he was charged with two counts of destroying or damaging property with intent to endanger life.

Middleton did not apply for bail in Parramatta Local Court on Saturday, when he was remanded in custody.

He is set to be sentenced over the earlier matter in the Gosford District Court on December 12, while his new charges were adjourned until February.

Earlier, police revealed new details of the terrifying double bombing as they piece together what took place.

Conditsis Lawyers in Gosford.

Brisbane Water Superintendent Darryl Jobson told a press conference on Friday morning that the attacker was captured on CCTV entering the Legal Aid office at 92-100 Donnison St about 2.15pm wearing a backpack.

He was allegedly seen to take an improvised explosive device (IED) out of the backpack before igniting it in the reception area before leaving.

The IED was described as a small LPG cylinder.

Supt Jobson said the man then retrieved a second canvas wheelie bag from an unknown location before entering the Kensmen building opposite Gosford Courthouse a short time later.

Public Order Riot Squad officers arrive at Gosford after the two fires on Thursday.

He took the lift to level three, where Conditsis Lawyers is located before pulling out a second LPG bottle from the canvas bag and igniting that device, police claim.

“It would appear as though he has found, or got another bag from another location, which we’re not aware of – I would describe that as a canvas bag on wheels – that bag has then gone with him into the building on the corner of Donnison St and Henry Parry Drive,” Supt Jobson said.

“He’s then gone into an elevator up to level thee, which is an area occupied by the private law firm and similarly to the other attack, has ignited a similar device being a small domestic LPG cylinder which has caused a fire.”

He said the second fire was far more severe but luckily it too was extinguished by firefighters before anyone was injured

Gosford Courthouse went into lockdown from about 2.30pm to 6pm when NSW Police Bomb Squad was called in to conduct a sweep of the premises.

About 20 people with matters before the court, solicitors, judges and magistrates were kept in the jury room throughout the entire time.

Supt Jobson described the bombings as a “callous and brazen attack” and said police established a strike force to investigate the incidents.

- With Amaani Siddeek

Got a news tip? Email [e-mail]