National Crime Authority bomber Domenic Perre has died while serving a life sentence for the 1994 Adelaide attack.
The 66-year-old was found guilty of the murder of Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and the attempted murder of lawyer Peter Wallis after a parcel bomb he built and sent exploded.
He recently argued an appeal against his conviction with a three-judge panel still to rule on his contention that someone else, possibly a now-dead mafia identity, was responsible.
For much of his trial, Perre appeared with his arm in a sling while the court also heard of his extensive medical issues including a heart condition and diabetes.
He was recently transferred to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and died there on Monday night, the Department of Correctional Services confirmed.
His jailing over the NCA bombing came while he was also serving time for drug offences.
In sentencing over the attack, his non-parole period was extended by 30 years, meaning he would have been in his mid-90s before being eligible for parole.
Supreme Court Justice Kevin Nicholson described the murder of Det Sgt Bowen and the grievous harm caused to Mr Wallis as “violent, barbaric, and ruthless”.
“Your conduct was brutish. That is totally devoid of any human sensibility,” he told Perre in October last year.
“It was not just premeditated but intricately devised and planned over a lengthy period of time and was executed in cold blood.”
Det Sgt Bowen died at the scene from extensive injuries, including the loss of his left arm.
Mr Wallis, who was standing nearby, lost an eye and suffered severe burns in the blast.
He died in 2018.
– AAP
