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

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