Gunsmith who went into business with NCA bombing accused says he owned a ‘right-wing extremist’s manual’

A former gunsmith has told the National Crime Authority (NCA) bombing trial he owned a “right-wing extremist’s manual” that detailed a scenario with a “striking similarity” to the deadly 1994 blast.

Domenic Perre, 64, is standing trial in the South Australian Supreme Court for the murder of Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and attempted murder of lawyer Peter Wallis on March 2, 1994.

He has pleaded not guilty to sending a parcel bomb to the Adelaide headquarters of the National Crime Authority (NCA), which detonated when it was opened by Detective Sergeant Bowen.

Prosecutors allege Mr Perre handed gunsmith Allan “Gadget” Chamberlain, who he met at Prospect gun shop Central Firearms, up to 20 weapons, a detonator cord and bomb-making books for “safekeeping” in the months and days before the blast.

In a court appearance last month, Mr Chamberlain was questioned over his relationship with Mr Perre and whether they had discussed going into business together.

Today, the court heard that police found a photocopy of a book called The Poor Man’s James Bond at Mr Chamberlain’s farm when it was raided on March 7, 1994 — five days after the bombing.

The book, written by former American Nazi Party member Kurt Saxon, has been described as a collection of paramilitary knowledge, studied by dissident groups throughout America.

Mr Perre’s defence lawyer, Gilbert Aitken, asked the 66-year-old witness whether the book’s “target audience” was the “extreme right of American politics”.

Mr Chamberlain responded that “could be correct”, telling the court he had not read the book “cover to cover” but had “flicked through it”.

Mr Aitken submitted to the court that the book was “not just a cheat sheet about how to convert guns and make bombs and other explosives”.

“It’s an instruction manual about how to kill people, isn’t it?” Mr Aitken asked.

Mr Chamberlain replied: “I don’t believe so, sir — not as a basis of murder or such, no.”

The former gunsmith later agreed the book was a “survivalist’s manual” or a “right-wing extremist’s manual”.

“My knowledge of American politics — and that is somewhat limited — I don’t understand it,” Mr Chamberlain told the court.

Mr Aitken asked the witness if the NCA bombing was considered “arson by electronics”, which was a theme explored in The Poor Man’s James Bond.

“No, my belief is that it was act of terrorism,” Mr Chamberlain responded.

Mr Aitken then told the witness to read two paragraphs from The Poor Man’s James Bond to himself before asking whether it had “a striking similarity to the occurrence on March 2, 1994”.

Mr Chamberlain responded: “It’s a general statement as to a theory on something that could be evolved from that, yes.”

“I still to this day do not know the construction of [the bomb],” he said.

The trial continues before Justice Kevin Nicholson without a jury.