The Belrose Bomb

It’s June 15, 1998, a cool winter’s evening on Sydney’s northern beaches.   The leafy, quiet and friendly suburb of Belrose is located about 19 kilometres northeast of Sydney’s CBD. For a man named Brett Boyd, it's no accident he lived there.  The 27-year-old had moved away from the bustling nightlife of Kings Cross. His friends were involved heavily in the club scene - some dealing drugs like cocaine. Elements of the work had begun to scare him, and so he retreated to a suburb where he felt safe.  Arriving home on that Monday in June at about 6:30pm, Brett noticed a package waiting at the door. It was addressed to his girlfriend, 23-year-old bikini model Simone Cheung. They’d met through a mutual friend and had been dating for a few years.  Simone wasn’t home at the time, and so Brett instinctively picked the package up.  A neighbour would later report hearing a loud explosion. The kind of sound that stood out. They then saw Boyd walk from his doorstep on Opala St, before collapsing. An explosion had broken windows and blasted holes through the carport. Debris even landed on the roof of the shed next door.  What Brett had picked up was a bomb designed to kill.  But who had left it there? And why was it addressed to his girlfriend?  When Brett woke up in hospital, he was convinced he knew.  CREDITS Guest: Poppy Damon and Alice Fiennes Host: Jessie Stephens Producer: Gia Moylan Audio Producer: Ian Camilleri RESOURCES WE USED: Former fugitive breaks silence 17 years after accused of notorious hate crime | 60 Minutes Australia CONTACT US Tell us what you think of the show via email at [email protected]   Join our closed Facebook community to discuss this episode. Just search True Crime Conversations on Facebook or follow this link https://bit.ly/tcc-group  If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.