Court told of plan to blow up Cairns defence base with petrol- laden car

Mum raised bomb alarm

A DISGRUNTLED former army dental assistant’s plot to bomb one of the nation’s largest northern defence bases was foiled by her Burdekin- based mother, a court has heard.

Kalisa Winn, 32, of Cairns, is alleged to have loaded her car with 70 litres of fuel and was minutes from bluffing her way onto the HMAS Cairns base.

Mother Pauline Parison foiled the alleged plot when she called police on February 3.

Mrs Parison, in a statement to the Supreme Court, feared an “innocent person might die” when she received texts from the former Lance Corporal ( right) that she planned to blow up a gas main on the base by setting fire to her car.

After 8pm, Winn texted that she would text again “when I get back”. Mrs Parison said she feared an attack was imminent.

Days earlier, Winn allegedly told her she had 200 litres of fuel and was “pretty handy with petrol”, a reference to hav- ing thrown molotov cocktails at police cars outside a police station and a council chambers in Sydney five months earlier.

Police searched Winn’s apartment and allegedly found photos of a car packed with fuel.

A search of Winn’s computer revealed she had looked at applications for a gun licence and websites for HMAS Cairns and Cairns City Council.

Winn’s car was missing and she still had her military identification pass, which gave her access to bases nationwide.

Police triggered alerts and bases were put into lockdown.

The car was found, allegedly loaded with fuel, in the Cairns CBD just before midnight.

The saga was outlined during Winn’s bail application in Brisbane this week. Charges included preparing to commit crimes with explosives. She has been on remand in Townsville for five months and was refused bail in April.

Mrs Parison told police Winn was angry with the army and police because they did not believe she had been raped while living in barracks in Sydney in 2010 and 2011.

The incidents were investigated but no charges were laid.

The molotov cocktail incidents happened a month after she was discharged in August.

She moved to Cairns last year and has been unemployed.

Justice Peter Flanagan adjourned the bail application until Winn could be psychologically assessed.

Winn said she would defending the charges.

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