Witness acted for accused Family Court bomber’s ex-wife, court hears

A witness in the Family Court bomber trial has told a court of an incident that happened while he acted for the a ex-wife of the accused.

Accused Family Court bomber Leonard John Warwick is facing 24 charges relating to the alleged murder of four people and the bombing of several building in Sydney during the 1980s.

A witness in the trial of accused Family Court bomber Leonard John Warwick has told a Sydney court that when a bomb was found under a car bonnet in the early 1980s, he was acting for the accused’s ex-wife.

Judge Gary Watts is giving evidence on day three of the judge-only trial of 71-year-old Mr Warwick, who is facing 24 charges relating to the alleged murder of four people and the bombing of several building in Sydney during the 1980s.

He is the second of at least 55 witnesses who will give evidence throughout the landmark trial, which is expected to run over six months.

Judge Watts, who worked as a solicitor at the time of the attacks, told the court he was engaged by Mr Warwick’s ex-wife, Andrea Blanchard, to represent her in a Family Court matter in the early 1980s.

Ms Blanchard had allegedly employed Judge Watts to attempt to modify existing custody arrangements and property settlements between the estranged couple.

The court heard that an application was drafted and was due to be finalised by presiding Family Court Justice Richard Gee on March 6 1984.

This was the same day that his Belrose home was destroyed by a bomb.

Justice Gee was also injured in the explosion.

Judge Watt’s application allegedly requested that Justice Gee reduce the amount of time Mr Warwick could spend with his daughter “by about three quarters”.

“Instead of (the daughter) seeing her father four times a fortnight between 9am and 5pm, he got to see her once a fortnight between 9am and 5pm,” Judge Watts said.

The application also included a standing warrant which would enable AFP and NSW Police officers to remove the couple’s daughter from her father “by force if necessary”.

Prosecutor Ken McKay asked if Judge Watts knew why Justice Gee had not arrived at court to rule on his application on March 6, 1984.

“Justice Gee’s house had been severely damaged by an explosion that morning,” Judge Watts said.

Several months later, he had been instructed by Ms Blanchard to draft further applications that would strip Mr Warwick of all access privileges with his daughter.

The following year Judge Watts received a call from a relative about an incident that had occurred in his old neighbourhood in Northmead.

“I rang my (former) next door neighbour and he told me something and as a result I rang the bomb squad,” he said.

“I had been told that a bomb had been found under the bonnet of a car in my old driveway”.

Judge Watts told the court that a search of his name in the White Pages revealed he still resided in 12 Kirra Avenue, Northmead, where the explosive device was located.

“In the week after the bomb was found in the driveway of my former property I had a conversation with Ms Blanchard where I indicated I didn’t believe I could continue to act for her,” he said.

The trial continues.