Arabic version: جلسة تحقيق تسمع أدلة بشأن جريمة القتل المزدوجة في فلوريات

According to ABC News, an inquest into the Floreat double murder has heard that Mark Bombara was described by friend Allan Maher as a “control freak” who could not cope with the breakdown of his marriage. Bombara shot Jennifer Petelczyc and her daughter, Gretl, before killing himself on May 24, 2024, after going to their suburban Perth home looking for his estranged wife, Rowena.

Acting State Coroner Sarah Linton said family and domestic violence would be “front and centre” in the inquest. Kathryn Kraus, representing Rowena Bombara and her daughter Ariel, told the court the killings followed years of domestic violence, including coercive and financial control. She said Rowena and Ariel had left the family home and gone into hiding in the weeks before the murders, fearing for their lives and seeking to tell police that Bombara was a serious and imminent threat with access to firearms.

Maher told the court Bombara was “domineering” but that he had not believed his friend was violent. He said Bombara spoke repeatedly about his wife leaving during a trip to Bombara’s Boyup Brook property two days before the killings. Maher recalled Bombara saying words to the effect of, “I’ll get the bitch, I’ll find her,” but said he appeared frustrated rather than angry and did not indicate he wanted to physically hurt Rowena.

On May 24, Maher and Bombara travelled back to Perth separately, planning to meet at service stations. At Bunbury, Maher said Bombara bought cable ties and a long rain jacket. Bombara later failed to stop at a Mandurah service station as arranged and passed Maher at “140 kilometres an hour”. He arrived at the Petelczyc home at 4:14pm wearing the coat and used cable ties to restrain the women before killing them. The inquest is expected to hear from medical professionals who treated Bombara in the weeks before the murders.