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Article from: The Australian
JOHN Howard Amundsen, the Brisbane teacher accused of building bombs in his bedroom, allegedly used a phony licence bearing a photograph of the star of the US television show The Shield to buy explosives from a Queensland company.
In Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday, police accused Mr Amundsen, 41, of producing an explosives licence carrying a photograph of Michael Chiklis, the actor who plays tough-guy detective Vic Mackey, when he applied to buy explosives from Orica Quarry Services at Beenleigh, south of Brisbane.
The slightly built, shaven-headed Mr Amundsen, who is conducting his own defence in a committal hearing, challenged the police claim that he had used a photo of the well-built, shaven-headed actor to buy the explosives.
Cross-examining Sean Edwards, the detective who led the investigation into the discovery of 53kg of Powergel explosives at Mr Amundsen's Brisbane home on May 9 last year, the accused high school teacher said a facial recognition expert would give evidence that, apart from their bald heads, he bore little resemblance to the actor.
The expert, he said, would testify that while Chiklis had raised cheeks, his own cheeks were sunken, and while the actor had a prominent chin, Mr Amundsen's was weak.
"I'm not suggesting you're twins," Detective Sergeant Edwards said.
Asked why a person fraudulently buying explosives would produce a licence carrying a photo of someone else, Sergeant Edwards said Mr Amundsen might have been trying to avoid being identified.
Mr Amundsen is charged with fraudulently obtaining explosives and detonators. He is also charged with possessing incendiary devices, carrying dangerous goods in a vehicle, illegal possession of a New Zealand passport, making counterfeit money and using a carriage service to make a threat.
The "carriage service" charge relates to emails Mr Amundsen allegedly sent to police, threatening attacks by al-Qaeda terrorists.
It is alleged that while applying to buy the explosives, Mr Amundsen phoned Orica staff several times, using the aliases David Engels, Ian Galloway, Sue Bailey and Peter Oliver.
"Do you believe," he asked Sergeant Edwards, "I could supposedly have used an English accent for David Engels, an American accent for Mr Galloway, a female voice for Sue Bailey and an Australian voice for Peter Oliver?"
Sergeant Edwards replied: "Mr Amundsen, I wouldn't put anything past you."
The hearing continues today.
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