Bomb-threat man angered by business failure

Press, 2 November 1985, Page 31

Bomb-threat man angered by business failure

NZPA-AAP Sydney A man attempted to extort $400,000 from Qantas airline because he blamed die Government for the collapse of his pet food business, Sydney's Newtown Court has been told. The prosecutor, Sergeant Peter Davies, told the court that Gregory Warner, aged 37, of Alice Springs, threatened to blow up a Qantas Boeing 747 jet en route from Sydney to Auckland on October 30. The New-Zealand born Warner is charged with two counts of making demands on Qantas with a threat to destroy an aircraft and kill or injure those on board. The charges relate to the incident on October 30 and one on April 23 this year. The charge carried a life sentence, Sergeant Davies said.

“Warner blames both State and Federal governments for the recent collapse of his pet food business in central Australia,” he told the court. This was the reason Warner chose a Govern-ment-owned airline as his target, he said.

The Court was told Warner telephoned Qantas four times on October 30. He told them he had placed one bomb on one of their jets which was about one hour from Auckland and another in a Sydney hotel. The plane made an emergency landing in Auckland but no bomb was found.

However, police did find a device capable of exploding in the Porthole Bar of Sydnev’s Menzies Hotel.

Sergeant Davies said Warner was arrested that afternoon in a public telephone box in the city as he was calling Qantas. He said that in April this year Warner had telephoned Qantas demanding $300,000 after threatening to blow up a plane bound for Auckland'

Public Solicitor John Claridge said that if granted bail, Warner planned to return to his Alice Springs home for the period of adjournment. Warner could not afford to deposit much cash as security, he said. The Magistrate, Mr David Burke, said it appeared the prosecution had a strong case. He refused bail and remanded Warner in custody to appear at Newtown Court on November 8.