Canterbury IED explosion: Massimo Lombardo found guilty of two charges

Covert undercover recordings has played a role in the downfall of a 21-year-old man involved in an IED explosion in revenge plot gone wrong in Sydney’s southwest.

“They know what we’ve done – this is bad, we shouldn’t have f**king done it” are the worried words of a member of the group involved in the explosion of a homemade bomb in Sydney’s southwest explosion in mid-2020.

The covert police recordings of the group came to light in court last week in the trial of a fifth man involved in the IED explosion in a quiet suburban street in Canterbury.

In an almost two-week long trial at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court, and four days of jury deliberation, 21-year-old Massimo Lombardo was found guilty of committing an indictable offence and possession of the IED, but acquitted on burning someone by explosive.

Massimo Lombardo was found guilty of two charges, acquitted of a third.

It was revealed that Lombardo’s guilt was snared by an undercover recording of the group in Zetland almost a month after the bombing.

Lombardo is heard to have said: “what am I going to f**king do, what am I gonna say”.

“They know what we’ve done – this is bad, we shouldn’t have f**king done it,” the transcript of Lombardo read.

Lombardo was part of the group of young men who set off a homemade IED on the porch of 9 Robert St in the Sydney suburb of Canterbury after a revenge plot gone wrong.

Lombardo waited four days for the jury to return their verdict.

After a friend was beaten, the group sought retribution on the person at a McDonalds car park with baseball bats. When this failed, they drove to a house on Robert St, but when again the man didn’t show, they resorted to setting off a homemade bomb formed of aerosol cans and thumbtacks.

The bomb was left on the porch of a house, badly burning innocent homeowner Denise Lavel.

Last month, Moses Rafael Anibal Succar from Punchbowl, Bradford Thompson from Cabarita, Patrick Ahn from Northmead – all 21 – and 20-year-old Antonio Maurice Capo from Campsie were all sentenced for their involvement in the plot.

Succar was convicted of burning someone by exploding gunpowder, and Ahn with an intent to commit an indictable offence and burning someone by gunpowder. Capo and Thompson were convicted on the same two charges as Lombardo. Succar, Ahn and Capo received varying lengths of intensive corrections orders, while Thompson received a community corrections order.

Antonio Capo pictured outside Burwood Court in 2021. He was sentenced last month for his involvement. Picture: Monique Harmer

Although not a key instigator, Lombardo, the court heard, had willingly gone with the group to Robert St, provided his car to get there, let it be used for the concoction of the aerosol canister bomb and accompanied the group to Robert St to commit the crime.

The prosecutor cross examined Lombardo intensely – who maintained he didn’t know the strength of the bomb, nor the plot to put it on someone’s porch – and referenced undercover recordings made by police to argue the offender wasn’t just an oblivious member of the group.

“You were enthusiastically involved,” the prosecutor said to Lombardo in cross examination.

“You’re hopelessly attempting to rewrite history and paint yourself at the edge of the circle.

“Your blood was up and you wanted to get involved.”

Aftermath of the IED explosion. Picture: Bill Hearne

Lombardo drove the group down to Robert St in his car on the request of his close friend Succar, who was sentenced last month to three years and four months behind bars.

Lombardo claimed he didn’t know the severity of the situation.

“I didn’t really think he was going to let it off,” he said.

“It didn’t cross my mind – I didn’t think the bomb would be anything too big.

“I don’t think I had a say in what was going to happen, I don’t feel like I had a choice.”

Nine were arrested in 2020 as part of investigation into the IED detonation.

The prosecution’s argument that Lombardo was a willing conspirator in the incident was rebuffed by the offender’s lawyers who said knowing of a crime is different to participating in it, and that – unlike the previously convicted – the offender wasn’t part of the plan, didn’t know the target, and neither made nor set off the explosive.

The jury took time to weigh up the arguments and found Lombardo guilty of possession of explosives and committing the offence, but agreed with the defence that he didn’t have a role in the actual act of setting off the bomb and injuring Ms Lavel.

Lombardo will next appear in court for sentencing.