Finding suspects for Sydney bombings and shootings at Family Law Court a 'mammoth task', court hears
Posted
It was a "mammoth task" to narrow down the suspect list for the 1980s shooting and bombing attacks at the Sydney Family Law Court, one of the lead investigators has told the court.
The 1980s Family Court attacks:
- Fatal shooting of his brother-in-law Stephen Blanchard in 1980
- Fatal shooting of Judge David Opas in 1980
- Bombing of another judge's home in 1984
- Bombing of the Parramatta Family Court in 1984
- Bombing of Judge Ray Watson's home, killing his wife, in 1984
- Bombing of a Jehovah's Witness church hall killing Graham Wykes and injuring other churchgoers in 1985
Leonard John Warwick, 69, faced a committal hearing on 32 serious charges including four counts of murder.
He was charged last year in relation to a series of attacks on members of the Family Court judiciary and the public between 1980 and 1985.
A previous coronial inquest heard evidence Warwick had a long-running dispute with the Family Court related to a custody battle with his estranged wife.
Retired NSW Police Detective sergeant Kevin Woods told the hearing of the "mammoth task" police had in investigating the attacks.
Mr Woods said 36,000 separate files were assessed, with Warwick not always the only suspect.
He said officers examined 1,651 people who had family court matters heard in front of the three targeted judges before the incidents.
The pool was narrowed to 15 suspects, then to three and finally to one.
Warwick was the only suspect "with all defendant matter before the three [targeted] judges", Mr Woods said.
One man who was examined closely by investigators at the time, but then eliminated as a suspect, was found to have a Lotto ticket with the address of a judge written on it.
Another was an "old school criminal" with background knowledge of explosives.
Warwick will be back before Central Local Court on December 14.
Topics: murder-and-manslaughter, crime, law-crime-and-justice, sydney-2000
