Advertisement

Mentally-ill man wore bomb in bra for 18 months before deadly siege

A mentally ill man obsessed with explosives had been wearing a bomb in a bra for 18 months before he died in a siege.

The coroner has been told locals were scared of Glenn Sanders, who had warned them his farm was booby-trapped.

Glenn Sanders was obsessed with explosives. Source: 7 News
Glenn Sanders was obsessed with explosives. Source: 7 News
Garry Poole said he was one of the few people not to abandon Glenn Sanders. Source: 7 News
Garry Poole said he was one of the few people not to abandon Glenn Sanders. Source: 7 News

Garry Poole says he was one of the few people not to turn his back on Sanders following his battles with mental illness and drugs.

But that changed when a highly paranoid Sanders took him hostage during the Derrinallum siege.

The father of four was trapped in a pit under a car in a shed at Sanders' property.

The scene at Sanders' property after the siege. Source: 7 News
The scene at Sanders' property after the siege. Source: 7 News

He says that his childhood friend sprayed gas in the pit, which he feared would be ignited before he managed to escape.

A day later the 48-year-old Sanders died and two special operations group members were injured in a massive explosion at the property after a seven-hour standoff.

Sanders died and special operations staff were injured after a seven-hour standoff. Source: 7 News
Sanders died and special operations staff were injured after a seven-hour standoff. Source: 7 News

Another friend, Andrew Breen, told the inquest he believed Sanders had been wearing a bra containing an improvised bomb for 18 months.

Andrew Breen alleged Sanders wore a bra with makeshift explosives attached. Source: 7 News
Andrew Breen alleged Sanders wore a bra with makeshift explosives attached. Source: 7 News

Sanders' brother Andrew gave evidence that just under two weeks before the siege he told a senior officer he was willing to talk to the bomb squad about his brother's explosives, but did not hear back.

Glenn Sanders had been under police surveillance on the day the siege began.

He went shopping at Bunnings and also bought groceries before heading to his farm.

Sanders' brother Andrew warned police about the booby-trapped house. Source: 7 News
Sanders' brother Andrew warned police about the booby-trapped house. Source: 7 News

The inquest was told that the farm was extensively booby-trapped with large amounts of cash also buried on the property.

The property had been surrounded by police when a large explosion was triggered.