174:" in the original investigation. Warwick was remanded in custody until 10 February 2017. Warwick pleaded not guilty to all charges on 2 March 2017, and the judge, Justice Garling, set a trial date of February 2018. The trial commenced in May 2018 before Justice Garling without a jury. There were several delays and adjournments to proceedings, with Warwick having no money for legal representation in February 2019 and his legal aid representatives withdrawing from the case in June 2019 after Warwick claimed his public defender had "bullied" him.
33:. Two people were shot dead, two killed by bombs, a court building was damaged by a bomb, and another bomb was found attached to a motor vehicle. In July 2015, Leonard John Warwick was arrested and charged with multiple offences, including four counts of murder, one of attempted murder, and 13 counts of burning or maiming with an explosive substance. In July 2020, Warwick was found guilty of the majority of the offences he was charged with, including three of the murders. He was found not guilty of the murder of Stephen Blanchard, his
181:
On 3 September 2020, Leonard
Warwick was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During sentencing proceedings, Supreme Court Justice Peter Garling said that Warwick's crimes "cannot be viewed as anything other than an attack on the very foundations of Australian democracy".
177:
Warwick's 23-month trial was concluded on 6 April 2020, with the verdict pending. Justice
Garling noted, "I can inform the parties that it will take a considerable period of time." On 23 July 2020, Warwick was found guilty of all offences for which he was charged, except for the shooting of his
166:
Warwick appeared in
Campbelltown Local Court on 30 July 2015. The case was adjourned to 6 August at Central Local Court. At the August hearing, he did not appear and did not apply for bail. Bail was formally refused and he was held until the next hearing in October.
147:
into the death of Pearl Watson. Waller recorded an open verdict, expressing frustration and disappointment that insufficient evidence had been found to charge the main suspect who had been connected in some way to all of the victims.
94:
on the doorstep. Judge Watson is believed to have been the target but was only injured. Like
Richard Gee, Watson had taken on some Family Court cases from his predecessor after Gee had been injured in the March 1984 bombing.
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The attacks are considered to have begun on 22 February 1980, when
Stephen Blanchard was shot dead in his home. His body was found six days later on the opposite side of Sydney in
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under the bonnet of a car. The address was formerly that of a solicitor who acted for a woman in a Family Court case. His name was still listed at that address in the
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163:. He was charged with 32 offences, including four counts of murder, one of attempted murder, and 13 counts of burning or maiming with an explosive substance.
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53:. No one has been found guilty of Blanchard's shooting, though convictions were made for the three subsequent related murders.
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On 29 July 2015, 68-year-old
Leonard John Warwick, the brother-in-law of the first victim Stephen Blanchard, was arrested at
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414:. Vol. 60, no. 18, 452. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 9 April 1986. p. 16
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In 2012, the State Crime
Command's homicide squad restarted an investigation into the crimes.
86:, became the first fatality of the bombing campaign when she opened the door of their unit in
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214:"Man arrested more than 30 years later for Sydney shooting and bombing spree that killed 4"
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352:"Man, 68, arrested for Family Law Court murders and bombings in Sydney in the early 1980s"
252:"Investigation exposes the dad accused of an unsolved crime spree that killed four people"
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29:, Australia from 1980 to 1985. They targeted judges and other people associated with the
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Coroner's Court investigating the death of Graham Wykes. The second was held in 1987 by
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The attacks were once considered an unsolved mystery of
Australian crime. In 1984, a
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573:"Accused Family Court bomber formally pleads not guilty over murders and bombings"
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548:"Family Court bombings: Accused Leonard Warwick to remain in jail until October"
703:"Family Court bomber destined to die in jail for 'calculated, violent' murders"
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67:, who had taken on Opas' cases after his death, was injured by a bomb at his
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600:"'The accused is indigent': alleged Family Court bomber broke, judge says"
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463:"Kevin Waller: First state coroner sought justice in times of disaster"
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57:
220:. Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Associated Press (AP). 29 July 2015
678:"'No case like this': accused Family Court bomber awaits verdict"
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was shot outside his home. He died later that night in hospital.
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Casefile True Crime
Podcast - Case 13: The Family Court Murders
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626:"Accused Family Court bomber claims his lawyer 'bullied' him"
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minister was killed and another 13 people injured when their
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On 4 July 1984, Pearl Watson, the wife of Family Court judge
321:"Man charged over Sydney family law court bombings in 1980s"
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reward was offered for information but was never claimed.
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329:. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 July 2015
282:"Family court bomber found guilty of 1980s murders"
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16:Series of shootings and bombings from 1980 to 1985
823:Improvised explosive device bombings in Australia
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808:Attacks on buildings and structures in Australia
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139:into the attacks. The first was held in 1986 at
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112:Also in 1985, an unexploded bomb was found in
843:Terrorist incidents in Australia in the 1980s
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652:"Alleged Family Court bomber trial-halt bid"
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406:"Courts Church bomb linked to court blasts"
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25:were a series of shootings and bombings in
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492:"Alleged Family Court bomber fronts court"
422:– via National Library of Australia.
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650:Scheikowski, Margaret (5 August 2019).
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155:Trial and sentencing of Leonard Warwick
98:Then, on 21 July 1985, Graham Wykes, a
858:Terrorist incidents in Oceania in 1985
853:Terrorist incidents in Oceania in 1984
848:Terrorist incidents in Oceania in 1980
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598:Thompson, Angus (28 February 2019).
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56:On 23 June 1980, Family Court judge
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178:brother-in-law Stephen Blanchard.
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676:Thompson, Angus (11 April 2020).
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79:was bombed without any injuries.
23:Family Court of Australia attacks
838:Terrorist incidents in Australia
624:Thompson, Angus (18 June 2019).
695:
250:Coulthart, Ross (7 July 2013).
813:Building bombings in Australia
546:Hall, Louise (6 August 2015).
394:– via au.news.yahoo.com.
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496:The Daily Telegraph (on-line)
434:"Man linked to bombed judges"
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161:Campbelltown, New South Wales
738:, Seven Network, 7 July 2013
451:– via news.google.com.
71:home. On 14 April 1984, the
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833:Serial murders in Australia
193:Casefile True Crime Podcast
92:improvised explosive device
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874:
378:"The Family Court Murders"
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818:Family Court of Australia
783:1985 murders in Australia
778:1984 murders in Australia
773:1980 murders in Australia
682:The Sydney Morning Herald
630:The Sydney Morning Herald
604:The Sydney Morning Herald
552:The Sydney Morning Herald
525:The Sydney Morning Herald
467:The Sydney Morning Herald
441:The Sydney Morning Herald
31:Family Court of Australia
758:1980 crimes in Australia
732:The Family Court Murders
190:The case was covered by
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63:On 6 March 1984, judge
73:Family Court building
326:ABC News (Australia)
170:Warwick had been a "
498:. AAP. 30 July 2015
709:. 3 September 2020
443:. 12 February 1987
411:The Canberra Times
172:person of interest
788:2015 in Australia
768:1985 in Australia
763:1984 in Australia
656:The Flinders News
521:"Road to revenge"
469:. 18 January 2014
196:on 2 April 2016.
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100:Jehovah's Witness
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736:Sunday Night
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713:3 September
356:news.com.au
218:thestar.com
65:Richard Gee
47:Cowan Creek
752:Categories
200:References
125:A$ 500,000
118:phone book
84:Ray Watson
77:Parramatta
58:David Opas
531:3 January
473:3 January
418:3 January
261:3 January
114:Northmead
88:Greenwich
661:5 August
635:5 August
609:5 August
577:ABC News
286:ABC News
502:30 July
447:29 July
390:30 July
362:29 July
333:29 July
292:23 July
224:30 July
69:Belrose
49:on the
41:Attacks
687:14 May
583:29 May
437:(scan)
104:Casula
186:Media
141:Glebe
715:2020
689:2020
663:2019
637:2019
611:2019
585:2017
559:2015
533:2017
504:2015
475:2017
449:2015
420:2017
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263:2017
226:2015
21:The
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