Fake bomb teen under guard
The Mosman bomb hoax case has taken a dramatic turn, as 7News reveals protection has been ordered for victim Madeleine Pulver over fears the extortionist could attack her again.
Madeleine, 18, spent 10 hours chained to a sophisticated fake bomb in her Mosman home on Sydney's north shore last week.
The Year 12 student told police she was ambushed by a masked intruder.
She was finally freed after an operation which included explosives experts from the Australian Federal Police and the British military.
The NSW Robbery and Serious Crime Squad set up a strike force to investigate the incident and are treating it as an extortion attempt.
Detectives are also examining the novel, 'Tai-Pan', to work out if an elaborate revenge plot is being played out.
The ransom note attached to the fake bomb made reference to Dirk Struan, the lead character in the epic historical novel, Tai-Pan by James Clavell.
The novel tracks a feud between businessmen who are trying to destroy each other. In one section of the book, there is an extortion threat against Struan. He finds out a price has been put on the heads of his mistress and children. The price is doubled if they are captured kidnapped alive.
It is a major line of inquiry in the investigation, and police have told the Pulver family they fear the person who attached a fake collar bomb to Maddie's neck might target her again.
Detectives fear the bomb hoax that made world news was just the first step and that Maddie's attacker might play out more of the book's themes, 7News reports.
Due to the fact the novel is about one businessman trying to destroy another; one focus of the investigation is whether anybody might have a grudge against Maddie's father, Bill Pulver.
The extortion note didn’t demand money, only that police contact the suspect via the internet, leading police to suspect the only aim of the man who did this to the Pulver family was fear and chaos.
The Pulvers have been advised to beef up security around their home, while Maddie has reportedly shut down her Facebook account and ditched her mobile phone, for fear she could be tracked.
