Body found: Smithfield man charged over alleged murder of grandfather

A Smithfield man has been charged with murder following the disappearance of a Sydney grandfather, with police alleging the elderly man was fatally shot and buried at a rural property.

Police have found the body of a Sydney grandfather they believe was shot and buried at a rural property in Upper Colo.

Last month, police received a report that 82-year-old miniature horse breeder Edwin Dobbin had gone missing.

On Friday afternoon NSW Police issued a statement saying they had located a body during an extensive search in Hawkesbury. The body is yet to be formally identified but they believed it to be Mr Dobbin.

A post-mortem examination will be conducted to confirm the cause of the man’s death and a report will be prepared for the Coroner, police said.

Mr Dobbin’s worried family had raised the alarm with police, after he failed to return to his Leppington home.

“This is my Pop,” his granddaughter wrote on Facebook 24 days ago.

“He is missing and I’m really worried about him. Please help us find him.”

Edwin Dobbin, 82.

Edwin Dobbin.

Despite two public appeals for information, and “extensive investigations” police could not locate him.

But on Thursday, police revisited 67-year-old Philip Bruce, who was understood to be a long-time friend of Mr Dobbin.

Police fly a drone in search for a body on a property in Upper Colo on Friday. Picture: Thomas Lisson

Bruce had allegedly told police conflicting information about Mr Dobbin’s disappearance on “multiple occasions”, according to Camden Police Area Command Acting Superintendent Tim Calman.

“That conflicting information led us to an address in Smithfield yesterday,” he said.

The remote property in Upper Colo. Picture: Thomas Lisson

“It was significant enough however for us to involve our partners in the State Crime Command”.

He was arrested at his home address, and taken into custody, where he was charged with murder, hinder investigation serious indictable offence of other and unlawful disposal of corpse.

Police search for a body on a property in Upper Colo on Friday. Picture Thomas Lisson

Police will allege Bruce fatally shot Mr Dobbin at his family-owner property in Upper Colo, before he allegedly buried the grandfather’s body somewhere on the property.

Police have established a crime scene at the Bruce family property, and are actively searching for Mr Dobbin’s remains.

“It’s an extensive search and I estimate it will take a couple of days as it has to be forensically examined,” Acting Superintendent Calman said.

“Police spoke with (Mr Dobbin’s) family yesterday and obviously with these tragic circumstances they are very, very upset.”

Bruce chose to remain in the holding cells at Fairfield Police Station on Friday while his barrister, Thomas Skinner, briefly mentioned the case before Magistrate Daniel Covington.

Mr Skinner told the court his client would not be applying for bail and asked that the case be adjourned to December 19 for police to begin serving their brief of evidence.

Bruce was not supported in court by any friends or family.

Mr Skinner declined to comment about the case, or reveal how his client was faring, when approached by media outside court.

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