NCA bombing victims’ families speak out after Domenic Perre found guilty 28 years later

Nearly 30 years ago, Jane Bowen had to tell her two young boys their dad would never come home, while Peter Wallis’ family was thrown into chaos. Today, they can tell their stories.

Jane Bowen-Sutton can still remember breaking the gut-wrenching news to her two young boys that their dad wasn’t coming home from work again.

And although Genevieve Wallis was only eight when the National Crime Authority bombing occurred in 1994, she can still vividly remember seeing her critically injured father fighting for his life in hospital.

While both remarkably brave women and their families will never have closure for their immeasurable losses, the conviction of Domenic Perre marks the end of their long and painful wait for justice.

Both were sitting proudly in the front rows of Courtroom Eight in the Supreme Court as Justice Kevin Nicholson pronounced Perre guilty of murdering Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and attempting to murder lawyer Peter Wallis, surrounded by more than 40 members of their ever-present, ever-protective police family.

Jane Bowen-Sutton with her son Matt, and Peter Wallis’ daughter Genevieve Wallis in Adelaide. Perre was on Thursday found guilty of the 1994 NCA bombing. Picture: Tom Huntley

That family included police commissioner Grant Stevens and deputy Linda Williams, the entire Major Crime team led by Superintendent Des Bray responsible for bringing Perre to justice, former detectives who worked on the brief at the time and current and former NCA and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission officers.

Their collective reaction was of immense relief and, at the same time, sheer satisfaction that Perre had finally been held accountable for his cold-blooded, murderous actions just over 28 years ago.

It took just seconds for Mrs Bowen-Sutton to absorb Justice Nicholson’s verdict, cupping her face in her hands as she shed tears. She had been waiting 28 years for that moment.

Mrs Bowen-Sutton was at home in Perth when the phone rang last Friday morning with the news Justice Nicholson would, after more than nine months of writing, finally deliver his judgment.

“I just thought at last, after such a long wait we will finally get a decision one way or another,’’ she said.

“I cried, I was much more emotional than I thought I would be. This nine months has been a long wait. I totally understand, being a police family, I understand the legal procedures, but it has been a long, difficult wait.’’

After calling sons Matthew, now 35, and Simon, now 33, to advise them the long wait was almost over, she tried to concentrate on her planned tasks to no avail. The thought of waiting another six days was excruciating and over the ensuing days, she further grieved not just the loss of her husband, but close friend Peter Wallis who survived the bombing, but suffered shocking injuries that ended his legal career.

A family photo of Detective Sergeant Geoff Bowen with Jane and sons Matthew and Simon.

“I am really quite sad that Peter (who passed away in 2018) has not lived to see the outcome. Because we were all from different states assigned to the Adelaide office, we forged close friendships. Peter ate at our house, he was a close friend of ours, the National Crime Authority was like a family,’’ she said.

“Of course it was felt by Matthew, Simon and I the most, but the impact of that bomb was immense.’’

She said while being told by Geoff’s colleagues a short time after the bombing that he was dead was terrible, telling her sons was “the worst thing ever.’’

“I knew I had to tell them they were never going to see their dad again, but they were too young to realise the ramifications. Even as I told them I knew somewhere down the track I would have to be talking about murder and a bomb,’’ she said.

“They were just five and seven, the best part of their day was when dad got home. And that was never ever going happen again. That is the worst thing that has even happened in my life.’’

Geoff Bowen’s brother John ‘Kelly’ Bowen, his son, Simon, aged 6, wife Jane, and other son Matthew, then 8 with then-Police Commissioner David Hunt laying a wreath at Centennial Park, Adelaide, in March 1995.

Mrs Bowen-Sutton said conversations about how their father died came when they were in their early teens as they asked questions. They spoke about the bombing and how the only suspect was Domenic Perre.

“His name, to us, he has always been the person who murdered dad,’’ she said.

Mrs Bowen-Sutton said while she was never consumed by anger that Perre had not been brought to justice prior to this, she was somewhat resentful. But she also knew when Major Crime launched Operation Cornus targeting Perre, it would be the last shot.

“I have tried to bring the boys up with the attitude that while he may have taken Geoff, he wasn’t going to take us as a family unit,’’ she said.

“Matt and Simon are very well adjusted. We are a huge part of the police family and have had enormous support. I don’t think they have ever expressed anger, I think if you open that Pandora’s box where will it end?

“We knew it was going to be a long haul, I knew there was going to be no short-term fix. But I didn’t think it was going to be 28 years long.

“But coming from a police family and having faith in the legal system, I always knew it would happen, that justice would be served one day.’’

Detective Sergeant Geoff Bowen with sons Matthew and Simon in 1992.

Mrs Bowen-Sutton said she was grateful so many police officers – from commissioners down – maintained the same “inner rage’’ she did towards solving the case.

She singled out the Operation Cornus team, DPP prosecutor Sandi McDonald, now a Supreme Court Justice, and WA police Commissioner Chris Dawson for special thanks.

“They all maintained that inner rage that you can’t kill a police officer, even 25 years later, it’s not all right, it has never been all right,’’ she said.

Mrs Bowen-Sutton said one of the hardest aspects of losing Geoff was bringing up their children by herself and him missing every milestone, including the birth of their three grandchildren.

Matthew Bowen, aged 7, holds his father's monogrammed briefcase as he, his mother Jane and brother Simon, 5, arrive in Perth in 1994, after the bombing. Picture: Peter Ramshaw

“They are blonde-haired, bluey-eyed Bowen babies, it is a tragedy that Geoffrey missed that because he loved being a dad, he loved his sons,’’ she said.

She also said she found it difficult to reconcile the fact that Geoff died in such a violent way, considering he “was such a gentle soul.’’

“There isn’t a day that goes past I don’t think of him. For me, this verdict is justice for Geoff and Peter.’’

Ms Wallis said her initial feeling when told last Friday the verdict was due was one of overwhelming relief.

“It has been a long time coming, not just in terms of the trial process. It has been 28 years, so we are grateful for the resolution,’’ she said.

“Justice takes time, a case had to be mounted and it has to be done properly and that takes as long as it takes.’’

Like Mrs Bowen-Sutton’s experience, she said the bombing had been a constant in her life since it occurred.

NCA bombing survivor Peter Wallis, in 2016.

The initial months were chaos while her father recovered in hospital and the ensuing years and decades dealing with the aftermath both shaped, directed and at times, dominated their lives.

Genevieve Wallis with Matt Bowen and his mum Jane. Picture: Tom Huntley

“It has been ever-present in our lives. It is not something that comes and goes. We have always been appreciative of the ongoing interest in the case, it has never rested,’’ she said.

“It shaped our lives from the moment it went off. But unlike the Bowens, we got to bring Dad home from the hospital.’’

Besides his obvious physical injuries, which included losing his right eye and severe burns to his legs, arms and abdomen, Peter Wallis suffered lasting psychological injuries including PTSD for decades after.

It was something Genevieve and her older sister Elli helped him deal with as he raised them.

Ms Wallis, now 36 and a mother of three, said while she never became angry at what was done to her father, she did struggle to understand the malice that “went into such a callous crime”.

“I have always struggled with consolidating that, how any human could be capable of that. I think my sister and I lost our innocence growing up knowing that such heinous crimes can happen at any point,’’ she said.

Ms Wallis is also sad her father did not survive to see justice delivered to Perre.

“Resolution was really important to dad. When it was announced Perre had been formally charged he called me and was the happiest I have heard him in a long time. It was really important to him that people had not forgotten,’’ she said.

“Dad and Geoff were really good friends, he lost a colleague but also a really good friend and think that was one of the things that impacted him the most.

“We are incredibly proud of the work Dad did with the National crime Authority, even though it was at a high cost.’’

Originally published as NCA bombing victims’ families speak out after Domenic Perre found guilty 28 years later