Donato Anthony Corbo

Case information

• Name: Donato Anthony Corbo
• Age at time of incident: 39

Timeline

• 2:30 a.m. — April 29, 2011 — Donato Anthony Corbo entered his neighbors' property and shot dead the 64-year-old man, then his 65-year-old wife and their 41-year-old son-in-law.
• Around 2:30 a.m. — April 29, 2011 — Corbo shot at a 14-year-old boy as he tried to flee; the boy was seriously wounded.
• 2:30 a.m. — April 29, 2011 — Police were alerted by a frantic call from the woman who survived.
• April 29, 2011 — during initial police response — Officers approached the house and Corbo opened fire with a shotgun; one officer was seriously wounded when he was shot in the face and another officer was wounded in the knee.
• April 29, 2011 — during an eight-hour stand off — Corbo fled next door back to his property and engaged in a tense siege with heavily-armed STAR force members.
• 10:30 a.m. — April 29, 2011 — Police entered the property after an eight-hour-long siege and arrested Corbo without further casualties.
• April 30, 2011 — The police officer who was seriously wounded after being shot in the face was confirmed to be in a serious but stable condition, under an induced coma in Royal Adelaide Hospital.
• April 30, 2011 — The 14-year-old boy who also suffered gunshot wounds was stated to be in a similar condition.
• May 2 — 2011 — Corbo appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court charged with three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder; he pleaded not guilty to the charges; he was scheduled to reappear on July 26.
• May 17, 2012 — Justice Michael David found Corbo not guilty due to mental incompetence of the murders and attempted murders and threatening a second police officer with a firearm; he was automatically sentenced to three consecutive sentences of detention in hospital for life; the matter was remanded until June 21 when Justice David would decide whether Corbo should ever be released under supervision.
• May 16, 2013 — Corbo was ordered to spend the rest of his life in mental health detention in Adelaide.

The offence

On Friday, April 29, 2011, a siege occurred in Hectorville, a suburb east of Adelaide in the state of South Australia, Australia. It began after Corbo went on a shooting rampage, killing three people and wounding a child and two police officers, before being arrested by Special Operations police after an eight-hour stand off.

Corbo entered his neighbors' property and shot dead:

• the 64-year-old man,
• his 65-year-old wife, and
• their 41-year-old son-in-law.

A female who was in the house at the time rang police and fled with her 14-year-old son and his 11-year-old friend; the son was seriously wounded when Corbo shot him as he tried to flee the house.

When police approached the house, Corbo opened fire with a shotgun. One officer was shot in the face and another officer was wounded in the knee. Corbo then fled back to his own property next door and engaged in an eight-hour siege with heavily-armed members of the STAR force. After police entered the property, Corbo was arrested without further casualties.

The weapon used during the shootings was alleged to be a shotgun, described as a Class-A category firearm. It was also stated that police would later remove three further firearms from Corbo's property. It was noted that it was not known if Corbo had a legitimate license for the weapon.

Investigation

Police were alerted by a frantic call at 2.30 a.m. (CST) from the woman who survived, saying shots were being fired into their front door on Montacute Road.

Quotes:

• South Australian Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Burns said: "It was a 'shock' for Adelaide."
• Gary Burns also said: "I have the deepest sympathy for the family involved in the shooting because it is four members of a family who were shot, three generations."
• Gary Burns also said: "You don't know what sets these things off."
• Gary Burns also said: "It is a huge tragedy ... and we're not sure why, and it happens in suburban Adelaide."
• The injured policeman was described as being in an induced coma and requiring surgery to his jaw; Gary Burns said: "It's a very distressing and traumatic incident for everyone involved," he said.
• Bryian Bennier, 24, said: "Apparently, some bloke just snapped and shot dead three people."
• Bryian Bennier also said: "It's pretty freaky round this area - this is a nice area - that this happens."
• Lucie Taddeo, who lived six doors down, said: "All I heard was: 'Get back, get down' and there were helicopters circulating."

During the incident, it was stated that police did not know why the 39-year-old went on a rampage. It was also suggested that the reason for the killings may have sparked from an earlier row between the two families over Corbo's pet dog, a Staffordshire Terrier, which had recently been poisoned. It was also speculated that Corbo was suffering from mental health issues stemming from a relationship breakup in December 2010.

Arrest

After an eight-hour-long siege, police entered the property and arrested Corbo without further casualties.

During the siege, Corbo engaged in a tense stand-off with heavily armed STAR force members. It was also stated that Corbo's mother was removed from the home by police during the siege.

Trial

Charges and court appearance

Corbo was later charged with three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, and a string of other offences.

He was refused bail and scheduled to appear in court on May 2.

Corbo appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on May 2, charged with three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was scheduled to reappear in court on July 26.

Judicial findings

On May 17, 2012, Justice Michael David found Corbo not guilty due to mental incompetence of:

• the murders of Luc Mombers, 41;
• the murders of his parents-in-law Kobus, 64, and Annetjie Snyman, 65;
• the attempted murders of Luc Mombers' 14-year-old son, Marcel; and
• the attempted murders of a police officer; and found Corbo not guilty due to mental incompetence of threatening a second police officer with a firearm.

Justice David remanded the matter until June 21, when he would decide whether Corbo should ever be released under supervision.

Quotes:

• Justice Michael David said: "The most disturbing factor of this whole tragedy is how this man had a gun given his psychological condition."

Sentencing

Following the findings of mental incompetence, Corbo was automatically sentenced to three consecutive sentences of detention in hospital for life.

On May 16, 2013, he was ordered to spend the rest of his life in mental health detention in Adelaide.

Outcome

Corbo was found not guilty due to mental incompetence for the murders, attempted murders, and threatening a second police officer with a firearm, and he was ordered to spend the rest of his life in mental health detention.

Background / victims

The victims were South African immigrants who arrived in Australia three years before the shooting from Pretoria in the hope of a better life for their son. They felt that South Africa was a violent place to bring a child up.

The two deceased victims were on holiday visiting the family and were due to return home to South Africa two days after the shooting.

The family were deeply religious and were members of the local Seventh-day Adventist Church.

It was stated that:

• Luc Mombers’ parents-in-law Kobus and Annetjie Snyman were in Adelaide on holiday from South Africa to visit their daughter Rika Mombers when they were killed.
• Ms Mombers and her daughter, who was not home at the time, escaped unhurt.

Aftermath

Corbo was arrested at the end of the eight-hour siege.

The officer seriously wounded in the face was confirmed to be in a serious but stable condition, under an induced coma, in Royal Adelaide Hospital.

The 14-year-old boy who also suffered gunshot wounds was stated to be in a similar condition.

Police had requested residents to remain in their homes until they had been spoken to by officers so officers could search the crime scene forensically and preserve evidence.

Police said it was expected Corbo would face charges including the three murders, at least one count of attempted murder, and a string of other offences.