Suburban terror as 'collar bomb' attached to schoolgirl

Australian ^

[nuconvert]

A massive emergency operation involving ambulances, rescue teams and bomb squad officers had sealed off Burrawong Avenue at Mosman on Sydney's elegant north shore in the early afternoon after 18-year-old Madeleine Pulver rang police.

Four police officers were in the room towards the front of the house with the teenager, examining what they described as a suspicious device, as her distraught parents waited outside. Police last night said the parents had not been allowed to speak with their daughter. The house where the drama unfolded is owned by the Pulver family and the teenager's father is the high-profile business executive William Pulver.

Commander Mark Murdoch from the Central Metropolitan Region command said the device was "a tough nut to crack".

The teenager was "doing a great job keeping her emotions in check", Commander Murdoch said, adding that she was coping better than her parents.

Although police were releasing few details, there were reports a man wearing a balaclava broke into the house at 2pm, strapped a device he claimed was a bomb to the woman's neck or wrist and, according to some reports, left a ransom note before fleeing. Police were alerted to the situation at around 2.30pm.

There were reports last night police believed the extortionist had told Ms Pulver the device was a bomb, which he could trigger from remote, and that he had also attached a microphone enabling him to hear what she was saying. Police were understood to have X-rayed the device and were analysing it to see if it contained explosives and how it was wired.

[Dacula]

Teen safe after ‘collar bomb’ drama ends in Sydney suburb of Mosman

Police have defused a bomb strapped to a teenage girl at a house in the wealthy Mosman suburb of Sydney. The drama began on Wednesday afternoon (local time) when an 18-year-old girl called police to alert them to the device. Police are reportedly treating the case an extortion attempt. Her parents were distraught according to police, and had not been allowed to speak to the girl. There were four specialist police officers in the house with the teenager, and the incident went on for over seven hours.

http://storyful.com/stories/1000006046

[nuconvert]

Thanks for that update!

[RummyChick]

wonder why they weren’t allowed to talk to the girl????

Perhaps in an effort to keep her calm?

[grobdriver]

he had also attached a microphone enabling him to hear what she was saying.

[Jonty30]

If your child were in this situation, you’d probably want to get in the way, just so you can hold her hand for one last time or do things, with the intent of wanting to keep the child safe that really isn’t conducive to her safety.

Good thing she is safe now.

[no-to-illegals]

Much appreciation for that update. Prayers Answered.

[momtothree]

“... wonder why they weren’t allowed to talk to the girl?”

Just pure speculation but don’t some bomb devices “go off” with phone or cell phone waves? (perhaps I am watching too many movies?) Maybe the bomb squad wants to know what type of device/timer?/C4?... all the bomb info before allowing anything. I am sure her parents are complete basket cases. (if she was my daughter, the medics would already have me in a straight jacket and medicated till I just drooled by now)

[Radagast the Fool]

quote-Much appreciation for that update. Prayers Answered.-end quote

Agreed!!!

[A Cyrenian]

Father telling the daughter:

"You have a bomb around your neck? You're grounded!"

[Dacula]

http://storyful.com/stories/1000006046

Here is a picture of the young lady

[ASOC]

Thanks for the link!

[RummyChick]

So what's her family do to have all that money? William and Belinda Pulver. he's listed as a high profile business executive.

[RummyChick]

Mr Pulver is the chief executive of Appen Butler Hill, a linguistic solutions company whose clients include Microsoft, IBM, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Toshiba and Motorola. He and his wife, Belinda, have three sons as well as their daughter.

[OldNewYork]

Crazy. Thanks for everything, Hollywood.

What would be the punishment for doing this in whatever country the criminal’s from? If he’s from Australia I understand it would be somewhere between what Breivik is looking at in Norway, and what we’d do in the bluer states.

[naturalman1975]

Section 47 of the Crime Act (1900) for New South Wales seems most relevant:

Whosoever:

causes any gunpowder or other explosive substance to explode, or

sends, or delivers to, or causes to be taken, or received by, any person, any explosive substance, or other dangerous or noxious thing, or

puts or lays at any place, or casts or throws at, or upon, or otherwise applies to, any person, any corrosive fluid or any destructive or explosive substance,

with intent in any such case to burn maim disfigure disable, or do grievous bodily harm to, any person, shall, whether bodily injury is effected or not, be liable to imprisonment for 25 years.

They could get another ten years under Section 55 for acually making a bomb. And another ten years under Section 31 for making threats to kill. But it's rare for these sentences to be imposed consecutively so they are probably looking at 25 years under Section 47.

[OldNewYork]

Thanks for the information. I hope they catch this monster today, and that he eventually serves the full sentence consecutively.

[ASOC]

The stupid thing was that the family was featured on the local TV as “the wealthiest family in the Sydney area.

Nothing like painting a big target on the back of your family.

I see now why ‘reclusive businessman’ is the smart choice for today.