Prue murder: Russell Street bomber to be quizzed

Prue's mother Jennifer Bird clutches a picture of her daughter at a police press conference in 2008.

Prue’s mother Jennifer Bird clutches a picture of her daughter at a police press conference in 2008. Photo: Craig Abraham

Police will interview Russell Street bomber Craig Minogue about the murder of Melbourne teenager Prudence Bird 20 years ago.

A week after Leslie Camilleri was charged with murdering the 13-year-old, homicide detectives today successfully applied to the Melbourne Magistrates Court for permission to question Minogue, who is serving a 28-year minimum jail term for the 1986 bombing.

The Age reported on Wednesday that police believed there was a link between the bombing and Prue’s abduction.

Prue Bird.

Prue Bird.

The bombing, outside what was then Victoria Police headquarters, claimed the life of policewoman Angela Taylor and seriously injured 22 others.

Homicide Detective Sergeant Brent Fisher told Magistrate Duncan Reynolds that witnesses had implicated Minogue in the kidnapping of Prue Bird as payback against her grandmother and her grandmother’s partner for giving information to police about the bombing.

Her grandmother has made a statement that Minogue told her “it would be a shame if something happened to your little Prue”, the court heard.

He is also alleged to have said: ’’It wouldn’t matter where you went or how long it took you and your kids would be killed’’, and words to the effect of: if we don’t get them others will.

Detective Sergeant Fisher said a witness had also come forward who claimed to have been in the presence of Minogue and Camilleri when they discussed the Glenroy abduction.

Another witness had told police they saw a distressed Prue in the back of a car crying for help.

Mr Reynolds granted the application, but granted police four hours to speak to Minogue instead of the six hours they had requested.

Police believe 13-year-old Prue was murdered in 1992 between February 2 and 11 – in the days immediately after her disappearance from her Glenroy home in northern Melbourne, according to court records in the case of a man who has been charged with her murder.

Leslie Camilleri, 42, faced court on Wednesday charged with Prue’s murder.

Meanwhile a three-day search for Prue’s remains near Flat Rock Creek, north of the town of Cann River in far East Gippsland, was called off this week after nothing was found.

with AAP

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