TWO police officers spoke with Glenn Sanders six months before his death to confront him about rumours he was wearing a bra filled with explosives.
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Leading Senior Constable Paul Avery of Skipton police and Leading Senior Constable Scott Simpson of Lismore police appeared at the second day of the coronial inquest into Mr Sanders death.
Mr Sanders died in a series of explosions at his Derrinallum property in April, 2014 following a stand-off with police.
The inquest heard LSC Avery and LSC Simpson went to the Sanders farm on October 28, 2013 to investigate rumours that Mr Sanders was getting around the district wearing a bra that had been turned into an improvised explosive device (IED).
LSC Simpson said in his statement that no one would confirm to police they had seen Mr Sanders wearing the bra.
After a lengthy conversation in which Mr Sanders reiterated his paranoid delusions that the CIA and ASIO were watching him and his fears that people were out to get him and steal his property, LSC Avery twice asked Mr Sanders if he had anything under the over-sized flannelette shirt he was wearing.
Mr Sanders didn’t directly answer the questions.
LSC Avery said he had no powers to arrest, detain or search Mr Sanders at the time, and at that time LSC Avery said he believed all Mr Sanders’ guns and explosives had been confiscated in previous months.
LSC Avery told the court he suspected the bra would have been filled with tissues or was a fake device.
He detailed the rapport he had built up with Mr Sanders over about a year and said he was in “complete shock” when Mr Sanders died, adding it had affected him personally.
He also said he was disappointed to read subsequent articles where residents had spoken about Mr Sanders showing them the IED in the bra.
LSC Simpson spoke about trying to re-engage Mr Sanders with mental health services in November 2013, but with no luck.
LSC Simpson’s evidence will continue on Wednesday.