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Authors: Vikki Petraitis
Tags: True Crime, Crime Shots
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tools that were of
particular interest. A pair of blue-handled tin-snips was later found to have
been the same ones that cut the wires on the bomb detonators as well as the
detonators found at Peter Reed's house.
Sockets missing from a socket set located in the storage garage, were later
found to have been used as shrapnel in the bomb.
Back at the forensic laboratory, Ashley used the engraving tool found in the
Minogues' kitchen to drill into old firearms. He made casts of the patterns
which he later proved were consistent with the other firearms, the Brock
Commodore and the bomb car.
While the forensic team matched the evidence, detectives located a friend of
Stan Taylor's. The friend admitted to taking part in the theft of gelignite and
detonators from the Triconnel Mine in Blackwood back on the 6 October 1985 and
described how the Craig Minogue and Stan Taylor had tested the stolen detonators
on a country property. He said he had also heard Craig, Taylor and Reed talk
about blowing up the Russell Street police headquarters.
While awaiting trial in 1987, Craig Minogue joined seven other
prisoners protesting against conditions in the maximum security Jika Jika
division of Pentridge Prison. The prisoners sealed their doors and further
blocked them by stacking their bedding against the doors as well. Windows were
covered in paper so that the warders couldn't identify the trouble makers. The
men started a fire and ripped plumbing from the walls with the intention of
breathing fresh air through the pipes. They badly miscalculated and five of the
protesters perished in the fire. Craig Minogue emerged as one of three prisoners
to survive the Jika Jika fire. The section was quickly closed down.
The Trial
The committal hearing began in January 1988. There was so much
forensic evidence, that crime scene examiner Wayne Ashley spent four days in the
witness box. Standing in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, a stone's throw from
the scene of the crime, Ashley had a chance to study the four accused. Craig
Minogue's hatred of the police was almost palpable. He was tall and of large
build and his size was intimidating. Ashley reckoned that of the two brothers,
Craig wielded the power, and Rodney was more the master's apprentice. Peter Reed
looked like the typical crook that he was. Stan Taylor was harder to read.
Occasionally, while he was giving evidence, one or other of the accused would
yell out, 'Liar!' The seasoned crime scene examiner tried to focus on the
evidence, rather than the men accused of the Russell Street bombing.
The trial proper began in March 1988. By this time, Stan Taylor was
51-years-old. Craig and Rodney were 26 and 23 respectively. Reed was 31.
Detectives from the Taskforce hung around the courtroom as much as they were
able. Detective Chris O'Connor who had interviewed Stan Taylor at Swan Hill
after his arrest, continued to get a nod of hello from the accused man. Between
arrest and trial, O'Connor thought that Taylor looked like a broken man older
than his years.
The evidence led at the trial suggested that the bomb car was driven to
Russell Street by Peter Reed and Craig Minogue. Stan Taylor allegedly followed
in the stolen Brock Commodore. Once the two-toned Commodore was parked outside
the south door of the Russell Street police headquarters, the Chux Superwipe was
removed from the timing device and the bomb set. One witness suggested that
Taylor, Minogue and Reed had parked nearby and waited for the explosion. When
the bomb when off, said the witness, the bombers were thrilled.
On Tuesday 12 July, the accused arrived to the Supreme Court to hear their
verdicts. As they entered the court room, they yelled out that they were
innocent. And the tension wasn't just with the accused, Detective Bernie Rankin
was physically sick. He and fellow Taskforce detectives had spent two years
living and breathing the Russell Street bombing. This was the day of reckoning.
Rankin was quietly confident that the
particular interest. A pair of blue-handled tin-snips was later found to have
been the same ones that cut the wires on the bomb detonators as well as the
detonators found at Peter Reed's house.
Sockets missing from a socket set located in the storage garage, were later
found to have been used as shrapnel in the bomb.
Back at the forensic laboratory, Ashley used the engraving tool found in the
Minogues' kitchen to drill into old firearms. He made casts of the patterns
which he later proved were consistent with the other firearms, the Brock
Commodore and the bomb car.
While the forensic team matched the evidence, detectives located a friend of
Stan Taylor's. The friend admitted to taking part in the theft of gelignite and
detonators from the Triconnel Mine in Blackwood back on the 6 October 1985 and
described how the Craig Minogue and Stan Taylor had tested the stolen detonators
on a country property. He said he had also heard Craig, Taylor and Reed talk
about blowing up the Russell Street police headquarters.
While awaiting trial in 1987, Craig Minogue joined seven other
prisoners protesting against conditions in the maximum security Jika Jika
division of Pentridge Prison. The prisoners sealed their doors and further
blocked them by stacking their bedding against the doors as well. Windows were
covered in paper so that the warders couldn't identify the trouble makers. The
men started a fire and ripped plumbing from the walls with the intention of
breathing fresh air through the pipes. They badly miscalculated and five of the
protesters perished in the fire. Craig Minogue emerged as one of three prisoners
to survive the Jika Jika fire. The section was quickly closed down.
The Trial
The committal hearing began in January 1988. There was so much
forensic evidence, that crime scene examiner Wayne Ashley spent four days in the
witness box. Standing in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, a stone's throw from
the scene of the crime, Ashley had a chance to study the four accused. Craig
Minogue's hatred of the police was almost palpable. He was tall and of large
build and his size was intimidating. Ashley reckoned that of the two brothers,
Craig wielded the power, and Rodney was more the master's apprentice. Peter Reed
looked like the typical crook that he was. Stan Taylor was harder to read.
Occasionally, while he was giving evidence, one or other of the accused would
yell out, 'Liar!' The seasoned crime scene examiner tried to focus on the
evidence, rather than the men accused of the Russell Street bombing.
The trial proper began in March 1988. By this time, Stan Taylor was
51-years-old. Craig and Rodney were 26 and 23 respectively. Reed was 31.
Detectives from the Taskforce hung around the courtroom as much as they were
able. Detective Chris O'Connor who had interviewed Stan Taylor at Swan Hill
after his arrest, continued to get a nod of hello from the accused man. Between
arrest and trial, O'Connor thought that Taylor looked like a broken man older
than his years.
The evidence led at the trial suggested that the bomb car was driven to
Russell Street by Peter Reed and Craig Minogue. Stan Taylor allegedly followed
in the stolen Brock Commodore. Once the two-toned Commodore was parked outside
the south door of the Russell Street police headquarters, the Chux Superwipe was
removed from the timing device and the bomb set. One witness suggested that
Taylor, Minogue and Reed had parked nearby and waited for the explosion. When
the bomb when off, said the witness, the bombers were thrilled.
On Tuesday 12 July, the accused arrived to the Supreme Court to hear their
verdicts. As they entered the court room, they yelled out that they were
innocent. And the tension wasn't just with the accused, Detective Bernie Rankin
was physically sick. He and fellow Taskforce detectives had spent two years
living and breathing the Russell Street bombing. This was the day of reckoning.
Rankin was quietly confident that the
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