Police have charged a ninth person over an explosion that left a 55-year-old woman with significant burns to her face and body in Sydney’s Inner West earlier this year.
Police say that on June 8, a woman was inside her home on Robert Street, Canterbury, when she noticed a fire on the front balcony at around 11pm.
The woman walked outside to investigate and when she tried to extinguish the fire, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated.
The 55-year-old was taken to Concord Hospital for treatment for burns to her face, hands, chest and legs.
“It’s only through good luck that I was not either dead or seriously injured,” the victim told Channel Nine in a recent interview.
Detectives from Burwood Police Area Command established Strike Force Shalimah to investigate the incident.
Last Thursday, strike force investigators charged seven men, aged between 18 and 20, and a 17-year-old boy. They remain before the court.
Following further inquiries, detectives arrested an 18-year-old man at a home on Shelley Street, Campsie, about 12.20pm yesterday.
Police also seized a Mazda 3 vehicle, which will undergo forensic examination.
The man was taken to Burwood Police Station where he was charged with causing explosive to be placed in or near building.
He was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear at Burwood Local Court on Monday 7 September.
