“I am a former Special Forces Green Beret munitions specialist and have
constructed such devices for over 20 years.
“SO, ACT NOW, THINK LATER, or YOU will inadvertently trigger a tragically
avoidable explosion.”
The note, which added: “Don’t tell the cops, or I’ll detonate”, claimed the
device was booby trapped and said he would later leave instructions for
transferring a “Defined Sum”. On the device was an email address,
[email protected].
Peters, who had wielded a baseball bat, then left the house after telling
Madeleine not to move and to “count to two hundred… I’ll be back”.
Police later tracked Peters via the email account which he used hours after
committing the bomb hoax. He was also seen in CCTV footage purchasing items
to assemble the home-made device.
Paul Peters’ booking photograph after he was arrested in the United
States (Reuters)
By the time police identified him, Peters had fled to Louisville, Kentucky,
where his ex-wife lived. He was arrested by US FBI agents before being
extradited to Australia.
Peters told police the Dirk Struan email address was taken the name of the
protagonist in a James Clavell novel, Tai Pan, he had read years ago.
Appearing in a Sydney court via video-link today, Peters remained silent and
showed no emotion. Via his lawyer, he entered guilty pleas on charges of
aggravated break and enter and detaining the teenager for advantage. His
lawyer said he was “profoundly sorry” for what he had done to the Pulver
family.
Madeleine Pulver’s parents Belinda and Bill
Outside the court, Madeleine’s father, Bill Pulver, who has made millions of
dollars from internet software businesses, said the plea was a relief though
the crime “remains a mystery”. There are a long series of links – possibly
coincidental – between Peters and the Pulver family; both he and Mr Pulver
had worked at the same time in New York, Sydney and Tokyo and both have
family ties to the New South Wales town of Tamworth.
“We are incredibly pleased with today’s outcome,” Mr Pulver said. “It is
great comfort knowing Maddie won’t have to endure the stress and anxiety of
reliving the events of that terrible night. Today’s guilty plea brings
closure to a crime that remains a mystery and as random to us in our mind as
it did back on August 3.”
Peters is due to be sentenced later this month.
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