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Men charged over homemade bomb exploded at 'wrong' Sydney house, seriously injuring woman
Posted Thursday 13 August 2020 at 3:47pm, updated Thursday 13 August 2020 at 11:49pm
Police have charged eight men after an alleged retribution attack gone wrong saw a homemade bomb explode at the wrong house — injuring a woman.
Key Points :
- The improvised explosive device went off when a woman went to investigate a fire on her balcony
- The 55-year-old was burnt and has suffered physical and psychological scarring
- The men arrested are aged between 17 and 20
- The blast injured an 55-year-old woman on the front balcony of her home in Canterbury, in Sydney's inner-west, in June.
Police say the bomb contained shrapnel and could have killed someone.
"It was an improvised explosive device (IED), consisting of aerosol cans containing a highly flammable substance," Detective Chief Inspector Ian Pryde said.
"We also believe there was some fire lighters, sparklers, and there was also thumb tacks loaded in amongst that device.
"This had the real potential to kill or seriously maim a person, the IED was not sophisticated, it was very crudely manufactured," he said.
The victim noticed a small fire on the balcony of her home, and when she went to put it out, the IED exploded — leaving her with burns to her face, neck, chest and arms.
"She is still suffering scarring, both physical and psychological from this incident, and remains extremely traumatised by the whole matter," Detective Superintendent Paul Devaney said.
Police raided several homes in suburbs across Sydney on Thursday morning, and took nine men — aged between 17 and 20 — into custody.
Eight of the men were charged with a string of offences while one man was later released without charges.
Police believe the incident was a case of "mistaken identity" — alleging the bomb was meant for someone who did not live at the house.
"We'll allege this incident was an act of retribution for an alleged theft of prohibited drugs belonging to criminal group members," Detective Superintendent Devaney said.
"The 55-year-old female had no involvement in any offence whatsoever.
"These men are facing extremely serious charges, they've made a number of very bad decisions that have resulted in life-changing experiences for the victim involved," he said.
The men will face various local courts over the coming days.
Original Article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-13/eight-men-charged-over-improvised-device-explosion-canterbury/12554958
Man pleads not guilty to charges stemming from Coffs Coast cannabis operation
ABC Coffs Coast / By Claudia Jambor
A Laotian man charged with commercial cannabis cultivation and supply has told a court he was unaware he was working for an alleged drug operation.
Key Point:
- Tou Sensonxay and five others were charged for drug supply and cultivation north of Coffs Harbour, NSW
- The 45-year-old man pleaded guilty to the charges, telling the court he "was just an employee"
- A trial date has been set for April, 2021
Tou Sensonxay was one of six foreign nationals – five men and a woman – arrested on January 22 over a $17 million cannabis operation north of Coffs Harbour.
At the time, police seized more than 5,000 plants and about 200 kilograms of cannabis head during the dismantling of the set-up at a property in the rural village of Kremnos.
The stash was concealed inside two large grow houses that did not look out of place alongside the blueberry and cucumber farms of the Coffs Coast.
Mr Sensonxay appeared at Coffs Harbour District Court yesterday via video link from the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre at Kempsey.
The 45-year-old greeted the courtroom by bowing his head and then holding his hands in prayer on his forehead.
He told the court through a Laotian interpreter that he was not guilty of one count of cultivating a commercial supply of a prohibited plant.
"I didn't know it was an illegal plant," Mr Sensonxay said.
"If I had known I wouldn't have done it."
Original Article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-09/laos-man-charged-over-coffs-coast-cannabis-operation/12967338
