Man accused of fatal Sydney bombings was locked in custody battle, court told

The man accused of a string of deadly Sydney bombings and shootings between 1980 and 1985 plotted the attacks because of an ongoing Family Court custody battle for his daughter, a Supreme Court judge has heard.

Leonard John Warwick, 71, is facing the first day of a judge-alone trial before Justice Peter Garling on 24 charges, including four counts of murder.

Mr Warwick, who appeared in the dock wearing a suit jacket and shirt, pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The events for which he has been charged include the shooting murder of his brother-in-law, Stephen Blanchard, whose body was found in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park on February 27, 1980; the shooting murder of Justice David Opas on June 23, 1980; the bombing of Justice Richard Gee’s Belrose home on March 6, 1984; the bombing of the Family Court in Parramatta late at night on April 15, 1984; the bombing of the Greenwich home of Justice Ray Watson, in which his wife Pearl was killed, on July 4, 1984; and the bombing of the Casula Jehovah’s Witness hall, killing one congregation member and injuring 12 others.

The Crown alleges all victims had some involvement in the custody dispute involving Mr Warwick and his ex-wife, Andrea Blanchard, over their only daughter, Trudi.