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2010 Darwin shopping centre bombing

Coordinates: 12°27′38″S 130°50′25″E / 12.460424°S 130.840410°E / -12.460424; 130.840410
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2010 Darwin shopping centre bombing
Mitchell St, Darwin, close to where the explosion took place.
Location47 Cavenagh Street, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Date3 February 2010
11.00AM – (UTC+9:30)
TargetTerritory Insurance Office
Attack type
Bombing
WeaponsPetrol cans and fireworks, loaded in a shopping trolley, which were then ignited by the perpetrator
Deaths0
Injured19 [1]
PerpetratorPaul Wayne Clarke
ChargesAttempted murder
Arson
Serious harm with intent
Recklessly endangering life

The 2010 Darwin shopping centre bombing was an incident which occurred on 3 February 2010 at the CBD Plaza shopping centre, located at 47 Cavenagh Street in the Darwin CBD.[2] 19 people were wounded, including a police officer.[3]

Bombing

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In the lead up to the bombing, it is believed the suspect had made several threats to the office, and as a result security had been stepped up at the office.[4]

The incident occurred at approximately 11:00am local time, when a dissatisfied customer of the local branch of Territory Insurance Office (TIO) pushed a shopping trolley loaded with petrol cans, and large fireworks into the building, where it then detonated, wounding many inside in the branch.[5] The wounded were taken by ambulance to nearby Royal Darwin Hospital.[4] The streets around the area, as well as the shopping mall which also contained a Woolworths outlet, were closed down while emergency services attended the scene.[6] Soon after the incident a local man handed himself to Police.

Despite the obvious shock and horror of the incident, many nearby civilians and passers-by rushed to the scene to help those who had been wounded in the blast. Northern Territory Police Commander Rob Kendrick praised those who ignored their own safety to aid those in need saying:[7]

"I have heard that persons shopping in the vicinity did provide assistance. Those persons are to be congratulated and I certainly applaud their actions."

Aftermath

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Paul Wayne Clarke, 44, who had formally changed his name to Bird, handed himself into police soon after the bombing and has been charged with at least nine counts of attempted murder, setting fire to a building, intending serious harm by causing explosion, as well as recklessly endangering life.[8] He was refused bail and appeared at Darwin Magistrates Court on 5 February.[9] On 30 April, he reappeared in court via video link from Berrimah Prison.[10] Bird hanged himself while on remand at Darwin Correctional Centre and died around 1.20pm on 20 January 2011 at Royal Darwin Hospital, at the age of 46.[2]

TIO, then owned by the Northern Territory Government at the time of the incident, was eventually sold to Allianz (insurance assets) and People's Choice Credit Union (banking assets) in November 2014, with all of its physical branches closed in 2016.[11][12]

Group Bravery Citation

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A Group Bravery Citation was awarded to a group of four men and a police officer who were in first attendance to the scene and helped contain a fire and assisted victims to find their way through smoke and debris immediately following an explosion at the Territory Insurance Office on Cavenagh Street on the morning on 3 February 2010.

For their actions, the recipients were recognised by the award of the Group Bravery Citation:[13][14]

  • Mr Patrick Bellot
  • Mr Paul William Bleeker
  • Mr Paul Darren Burgess
  • Mr Patrick Dunks
  • Senior Constable First Class Mark Richard Nancarrow

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "TIO to close bombed office". NT News. 14 May 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Inquest into the death of Bird [2011] NTMC 050" (PDF). 30 April 2010. pp. 1 & 4.
  3. ^ "Darwin shop complex blast injures 15". The Australian. 3 February 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Blast injures 15 in Darwin bank". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 February 2010.
  5. ^ "13 injured in a blast at shopping center in Oz". The Indian Express. 3 February 2010.
  6. ^ "Fifteen people injured after man wheels trolley bomb into building". WA Today. 3 February 2010.
  7. ^ "Bystanders turn heroes". NT News. 3 February 2010.
  8. ^ "Trolley bomber an 'unhappy customer', say cops". NT News. 3 February 2010.
  9. ^ "Charges laid over Darwin insurance office bombing". The Daily Telegraph. 5 February 2010.
  10. ^ "Alleged TIO bomber 'Bird' in court". NT News. 30 April 2010.
  11. ^ "TIO: Northern Territory Government confirms sale for $424m after months of speculation, protests and petitions". ABC News. 24 November 2014.
  12. ^ Sorensen, Hayley (8 September 2016). "TIO to shut all Northern Territory branches". Northern Territory News.
  13. ^ "Group Bravery Citation" (PDF). The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.
  14. ^ Dillon, Meagan (21 March 2011). "Heroes stand tall". The Northern Territory News. p. 5.

12°27′38″S 130°50′25″E / 12.460424°S 130.840410°E / -12.460424; 130.840410

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