Police baffled over motive for teenager's 'collar bomb' terrorBy Alun Palmer 5/08/2011
POLICE were yesterday trying to discover why a maniac ambushed a millionaire’s 18-year-old daughter and chained a “bomb” around her neck.
Madeleine Pulver spent 10 hours shackled by a collar and chain to the device at her £1million home at Burrawong Avenue, Sydney.
Initial fears of an extortion attempt gave way to the theory it could have been a revenge attack, aimed at hurting the teenager’s father Bill, one of the richest men in Australia.
There were also unexplained police claims that Madeleine had had “prior contact” with her attacker. But Supt Luke Moore dismissed speculation that she was a “person of interest” in the case and said it had been a deliberate extortion attempt. He said: “Madeleine was the victim.” Last night it emerged that the answer could lie an email address found on a computer memory stick hidden in the “bomb”, which turned out to be a fake.
During her horrific ordeal, Madeleine had to keep still, fearing that any movement could trigger the device and kill her.
Pinned to her chest was a chilling note which read: “Don’t go to the cops or I will detonate. Don’t cut the wires or I will detonate.”
But after a painstaking examination of the device and liaising with a British bomb disposal expert by phone, the police decided it was a hoax and removed the chain from Madeleine’s neck. She was taken to hospital and went home after treatment.
Detectives revealed the two-page note pinned to Madeleine’s chest hinted at a deliberate extortion attempt against her father. It did not demand money but did list certain demands.
Assistant Police Commissioner Mark Murdoch said “There were some instructions and those will provide us with further lines for inquiry.” The note was signed Dirk Struan – a character from a novel about warring
businessmen.
The masked intruder burst into the Madeleine’s home in the expensive suburb of Mosman at 2pm on Wednesday.
He ordered her upstairs and spent 30 minutes putting the “bomb” around her neck.
He told her she could ring the police but was not to give too much detail about him or their conversation. The man, whose age is unknown, indicated he had planted listening devices.
After he left, Madeleine immediately called her parents, who contacted the police. WPC Karen Lowden, who had no body armour, went into the house and risked her own life comforting the terrified schoolgirl for two hours.
Madeleine’s father, who had waited anxiously outside with his wife Belinda, yesterday thanked WPC Lowden and the other negotiators.
He said: “They were an incredible comfort during a horrific ordeal.”
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said: “I am incredibly proud of WPC Lowden.”
.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/08/05/
POLICE were yesterday trying to discover why a maniac ambushed a millionaire’s 18-year-old daughter and chained a “bomb” around her neck.
Madeleine Pulver spent 10 hours shackled by a collar and chain to the device at her £1million home at Burrawong Avenue, Sydney.
Initial fears of an extortion attempt gave way to the theory it could have been a revenge attack, aimed at hurting the teenager’s father Bill, one of the richest men in Australia.
There were also unexplained police claims that Madeleine had had “prior contact” with her attacker. But Supt Luke Moore dismissed speculation that she was a “person of interest” in the case and said it had been a deliberate extortion attempt. He said: “Madeleine was the victim.” Last night it emerged that the answer could lie an email address found on a computer memory stick hidden in the “bomb”, which turned out to be a fake.
During her horrific ordeal, Madeleine had to keep still, fearing that any movement could trigger the device and kill her.
Pinned to her chest was a chilling note which read: “Don’t go to the cops or I will detonate. Don’t cut the wires or I will detonate.”
But after a painstaking examination of the device and liaising with a British bomb disposal expert by phone, the police decided it was a hoax and removed the chain from Madeleine’s neck. She was taken to hospital and went home after treatment.
Detectives revealed the two-page note pinned to Madeleine’s chest hinted at a deliberate extortion attempt against her father. It did not demand money but did list certain demands.
Assistant Police Commissioner Mark Murdoch said “There were some instructions and those will provide us with further lines for inquiry.” The note was signed Dirk Struan – a character from a novel about warring
businessmen.
The masked intruder burst into the Madeleine’s home in the expensive suburb of Mosman at 2pm on Wednesday.
He ordered her upstairs and spent 30 minutes putting the “bomb” around her neck.
He told her she could ring the police but was not to give too much detail about him or their conversation. The man, whose age is unknown, indicated he had planted listening devices.
After he left, Madeleine immediately called her parents, who contacted the police. WPC Karen Lowden, who had no body armour, went into the house and risked her own life comforting the terrified schoolgirl for two hours.
Madeleine’s father, who had waited anxiously outside with his wife Belinda, yesterday thanked WPC Lowden and the other negotiators.
He said: “They were an incredible comfort during a horrific ordeal.”
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said: “I am incredibly proud of WPC Lowden.”
.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/08/05/
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