AN attempted kidnapping brought the authorities to Glenn Sanders’ door on April 11, 2014, but police were well advanced in their plans to pay the Derrinallum explosives expert a visit, possibly the following week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The coronial inquest into Mr Sanders’ death heard from arson and explosives squad member Detective Sergeant Andrew Beans, who said his division was in the process of getting a search warrant and planning a response to reports Mr Sanders had been wearing an improvised explosive device (IED) around Derrinallum and Ballarat.
DS Beans said he received a call on March 31 from Detective Senior Constable Mark Howard of Ballarat police detailing a report that Mr Sanders was wearing an IED.
By April 4, DS Beans had compiled further information – included other unverified reports about Mr Sanders wearing an IED – and begun Operation Geologizes, which was the codename for the Sanders case.
A risk assessment was started, and DS Beans told the court that if he and a fellow officer had been able to get to Ballarat and Derrinallum to get the confirmed statements necessary for a search warrant in the week of April 7, they would have. Instead, it was put off “because of other matters” until the week of April 14.
The kidnapping on April 10 led to the “planned response” becoming an “unplanned response”, with the Special Operations Group, a surveillance squad and the bomb response unit put into action on April 11.
DS Beans said the “planned response … would have been similar if not exactly the same scenario” to what took place on April 11.
Coroner John Olle questioned the delay, positing that the numerous reports of a man walking around wearing an IED should have required a more urgent response.
DS Beans said it was treated as a priority but based on past experience the fact no one had made an official statement to police may have prevented the acquisition of a search warrant.
The court heard that other factors which contributed to the delay included some of the reports of Mr Sanders wearing an IED were 12 months old, no one had been able to confirm whether the IED was real or fake, there was no suggestion of self-harm or threats to others, the local police were aware of the device and had “a lot of contact with” Mr Sanders but were not concerned enough to get a warrant, no offence had been committed, and Mr Sanders’ explosives licence had been cancelled and explosives had been seized from his property.
The coronial inquest into Mr Sanders’ death is due to conclude on Friday.
