17 Aug 2011

Hoax neck bomb suspect to plead not guilty

9:29 am on 17 August 2011

The lawyer for a man accused of attaching a fake bomb around the neck of a Sydney teenager, says his client will plead not guilty.

Paul Douglas Peters, 50, appeared in the Louisville District Court in Kentucky, on Tuesday and was remanded in custody until 14 October. He was arrested at his ex-wife's home on Monday.

Court records show he had ties to a company connected to the girl's family.

The accused was tracked through an e-mail account on Gmail, security camera footage in Australia and a Range Rover car he drove, according to the documents.

Australian authorities have 60 days to begin formal extradition proceedings.

On August 3, a man wearing a balaclava broke into the home of Bill Pulver in Sydney.

The only person there was Madeleine Pulver, 18. A device was strapped to her neck that the intruder said was a bomb he could detonate by remote control.

Police officers took 10 hours to remove the device. It turned out to be harmless.