Networked Knowledge – Media Report

[This edited version of the report has been prepared by Dr Robert N Moles]

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On 1 July 1999 Mark Steene of The Advertiser reported on Dr Kobus: "The NCA Bombing Inquest - Perre Evidence ‘Contaminated’"

 One of the few pieces of forensic evidence once linking Domenic Perre to the National Crime Authority bombing resulted from a laboratory contamination, the Coroner’s Court was told yesterday. The evidence, a microscopic piece of primer from a bullet, labelled DP17, was found on a swab from the pants of bombing victim, NCA lawyer Mr Peter Wallis.

It was similar to primer fragments taken from a desk in the home of Perre when police searched the property shortly after the bombing. The March 2, 1994, blast killed NCA Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and severely injured Mr Wallis. Perre, an avid shooter and firearms enthusiast, used the desk to reload his ammunition.

But yesterday, State Forensic Science Centre director Dr Hilton Kobus said the sample was likely to have been contaminated when evidence from the two locations came into contact with each other. He described the incident as resulting from contamination, error, bad practice or bad luck.

“We never found a primer particle anywhere else,” Dr Kobus said. “Hindsight is a marvellous thing. We recognised earlier on that was a contamination. No particles were found again and that was shy we thought the result was so spurious.”

Dr Kobus said the contamination was likely to have occurred as the minute samples were being prepared fro examination under an electron microscope. He said the particles from Perre’s home and from the bombing scene were being coated with carbon, in preparation for the examination at the same time. The particle was believed to be residue from a primer cap used in ammunition to ignite the propellant and fire the bullet. The caps are ignited when struck by the firing pin of the weapon.

In other evidence yesterday, private investigator Mr Frank Carbone was asked how he located more than 120 documents belonging to gunsmith Mr Allan Chamberlain. Mr Chamberlain has also been accused of manufacturing the bomb. Mr Carbone told the court he found the documents at the Prospect gunshop where Mr Chamberlain worked, after the premises had been searched by police on March 7, 1994. When asked shy the documents had not been found by police, Mr Carbone said he did not know.

“I wasn’t present when the police searched on March 7,” he said. The inquest is continuing.

Source: 1 July 1999 - Mark Steene - The Advertiser - "The NCA Bombing Inquest - Perre Evidence ‘Contaminated’"

See also Dr Kobus to head up new centre at Flinders University of South Australia

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