South Australian drug trafficker Domenic Perre has been found guilty of the 1994 National Crime Authority bombing in Adelaide.
The daylight blast in Adelaide's CBD claimed the life of Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and seriously injured lawyer Peter Wallis.
Perre sent a parcel bomb to Detective Sergeant Bowen's Waymouth Street office in March 1994 in revenge over the police officer's investigation into the Perre family's drug business.
Perre was immediately identified as a suspect, but the first set of charges were dropped in September 1994.
He was charged again in 2018.
After a seven-month trial, Justice Kevin Nicholson has today found Perre guilty of murder and attempted murder.
The 65-year-old was already in custody on other charges.
The prosecution case against Perre was wholly circumstantial.
Perre had intention to kill, Judge finds
Justice Kevin Nicholson found before the bombing, Perre had demonstrated a keen interest in high explosives, had access to methods for manufacturing high explosives, had access to all the components of the NCA bomb, had experimented successfully with a high explosive, and had expressed extreme anger towards and an intention to "get" someone with "a postpak kind of thing".
He found Perre was motivated to cause harm to the NCA and to Geoffrey Bowen specifically, and had taken steps after the bombing to clean and remove items from his shed "at a level of obsession strongly indicative of a fear" that bomb residue might still be available to police.
"These matters, considered as a whole, establish beyond reasonable doubt that Domenic Perre constructed and posted the NCA bomb and caused the death of Mr Bowen and the injuries to Mr Wallis," Justice Nicholson said.
"On my assessment of the circumstances, I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Perre must have intended to kill anyone who happened to open the postpak whether or not Mr Bowen, and anyone else who happened to be with that person at the time of the detonation."
Police efforts praised
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens praised investigators for their continual efforts in solving the crime.
"This is one of those investigations that will go down in the history books in South Australia in relation to the extent of effort that was put into securing a conviction," he said.
"I think it's a testament to the South Australia police, our detectives, our major crime investigation branch and it is a message to anyone out there who thinks he can get away with a crime in South Australia, we do not give up."
Major Crime Superintendent Detective Des Bray said he was happy with today's verdict and thanked the community for its support and all of the witnesses who came forward.
"It doesn't do anything to diminish the loss or the pain and suffering of the families, or take away from everything that Geoff missed in his life or the impact it had on Peter in his life," he said.
"Today is a time for everybody to reflect and think of the Bowen and Wallis families and all the other people in the law enforcement community who were impacted by this terrible event. So today Dominic goes off to commence his prison term and South Australia is a much safer place because of that."
Sergeant Bowen's brother-in-law David Gorton spoke on the behalf of the family.
"Despite the years which have passed since 1994, justice has been served today," he said.
"While many years have passed, this criminal act has remained at the forefront of our thoughts.
"Today's guilty verdict will allow us to move forward, knowing the individual who caused Geoffrey's death, amongst other serious crimes, has finally been convicted."
Wallis valued 'truth and justice above all else'
As a result of the bombing, Mr Wallis received burns to 35 per cent of his body and lost an eye.
When Perre was charged in 2018, Mr Wallis said he was "elated". He died of a stroke later that year.
His daughter Genevieve Wallis spoke outside of court following the verdict.
"Peter Wallis was a lawyer, he was also our dad, he was a son, a brother, a colleague, a friend and a partner.
"His life was inconceivably changed on the 2nd of March 1994, while investigating organised crime. As a result of the bombing, dad lost his great mate Geoff, his career was cut short and he battled daily with the profound physical and emotional scars.
"There was no doubt he was a different person in the aftermath of the bombing.
On behalf of her family, Ms Wallis thanked police, investigators and the prosecution for helping achieve today's verdict.
Mario Armiento, a former NCA colleague to both Sergeant Bowen and Mr Wallis, said while 28 years was a long time, there "was no time limit for a court to deliver the right verdict".
"For my former colleagues at the NCA and for me, this is a great weight lifted off our shoulders and justice has prevailed," he said.
