Canterbury IED explosion: Moses Succar, Patrick Ahn, Bradford Thompson, Antonio Capo sentenced

It was an act of violence seen in “American gangland movies”, when an innocent woman was left wounded by a homemade bomb following a case of mistaken identity. Four of the men have been sentenced for their roles.

For a group of young men from Sydney’s inner west, the mugging of a mate and the theft of drugs outside a weed and MDMA-fuelled party was an act which called for immediate revenge.

When Patrick Ahn, 21, of Northmead and other left the party to restock drugs on June 7, 2020, Ahn was attacked and left with facial injuries.

A group of men assembled at a Maccas carpark the next day where a plan was hatched for seven men, some wielding baseball bats, to go to the home of the suspected attacker and call then outside.

When that plan failed a “back-up” plan, involving a $71 homemade bomb, had disastrous consequences which left an innocent mum with severe injuries who later told the court she felt like she was in a scene from an “American gangland movie”.

On Friday, Downing Centre District Court a group of mostly university students, all with no prior criminal records, learned their fate for their roles in the June 2020 explosion of a device made from aerosol cans and thumb tacks which seriously injured Denise Lavell on the porch of her Canterbury house.

Three 21-year-olds, Moses Rafael Anibal Succar from Punchbowl, Bradford Thompson from Cabarita, and Patrick Ahn from Northmead, were sentenced, along with 20-year-old Campsie man, Antonio Maurice Capo.

Tony Capo was sentenced to a one-year-and-six-months intensive corrections order. Picture / Monique Harmer

Reciting an agreed statement of facts, Judge Weinstein said after the first plan failed members of the group paid a visit to Coles and bought the ingredients to make an IED. At 10:46pm Nicholas Sguras, 20, Thomson and Succar went to the supermarket and bought disposable gloves, sparklers, thumb tacks, butane canisters, metal polish, wrapping foil, sellotape and soft drinks, costing $71.70.

According to the facts, Succar and Sguras made the bomb in the boot of a car while the others watched on. At 11:15pm, the group returned to the home of the suspected drug robber.

The facts state Capo stayed in the car to act as a lookout while CCTV showed the others walk up towards Lavell’s house in hoodies and then return to the cars a short time later.

The court heard each of the men who fronted court on Friday claimed they did not think the bomb would be used to cause actual harm, but believed it would be used as a warning to scare their target. Judge Weinstein said he could not identify who put the device on Lavell’s porch.

According to court documents, Lavell ran out her front door after noticing a flickering light through her stained glass windows. It caught fire after she throw a blanket over it, so she kicked it off the veranda and felt lucky to have escaped serious injury or death.

Lavell had no connection to the drug theft and suffered lasting physical and psychological injuries, court heard.

“Had I been caught on the enclosed veranda in that explosion I don’t think I would be here to tell the tale … I can’t believe this horrific event happened in my ordinary life in my quiet little suburb,” Ms Lavell told the court in January.

“This is the sort of stuff you see in American gangland movies.”

In sentencing Succar, an electrician, Judge Weinstein noted although he didn’t buy the materials, the bomb was his idea and he helped make it, adding “without him the IED could not have exploded.”

The court heard Succar’s desire to show off to others, as well as depression and anxiety, played a role in his actions. He was convicted of burn or maim someone by exploding gunpowder and sentenced to three years and four months behind bars, with a non-parole period of one year and eight months.

Turning to Ahn, a student who had studied engineering, nursing and more recently psychology, Judge Weinstein noted he wanted revenge for being robbed but didn’t agree to the “excessive” bomb.

“It appears he did not suggest making the bomb, he did not assist its construction, he did not go into the shop for material,” Magistrate Weinstein said. “He looked on as the bomb was made and accompanied co-offenders in its placement.” He was sentenced to sentenced to three years imprisonment to be served via an intensive corrections order. He was convicted of armed with intent to commit indictable offence and burn or maim a person by exploding gunpowder.

Reading from the crown’s case, Judge Weinstein said Capo was not at the party on the night of Ahn’s assault and was not criminally responsible for Ms Lavell’s injuries.

He noted Capo was just 18 years old at the time, did not contribute to the decision to make the IED and acted only as a lookout. He was convicted of armed with intent to commit indictable offence and possess an explosive device with intent to injure, and was sentenced to serve one year and six months via intensive corrections order.

The court heard Thompson, a studious young man who had previously been awarded $90,000 to study a bachelor of arts in western civilisation, had fallen into recreational drug use following severe bullying at school but had since turned his life around.

Zhane Thompson escaped prison time over the bombing incident. Picture / Monique Harmer

Judge Weinstein noted Thompson went to Coles with the others and stood around while the device was made.

“He went to the supermarket, paid cash for items … and did not want to appear weak by refusing to join in,” Judge Weinstein said.

He was sentenced to one years and four months to be served by community corrections order and was convicted of possess an explosive device with intent to injure as well as armed with intent to commit indictable offence.

In all acts of sentencing, Magistrate Weinstein noted the offenders’ youth, early guilty pleas, show of remorse and low likelihoods of reoffending. He said the desire to show off to each other was a common motivating factor.

Sguras is charged with participating in a criminal group, drug supply, burning and maiming with exploding gunpowder and being armed to commit an indictable offence and will be sentenced on Monday.