Floreat killer 'control freak' upset at marriage breakdown, court hears

Floreat murderer Mark Bombara, who shot and killed a mother and daughter in cold blood as they pleaded for their lives in their suburban Perth home, was a control freak who could not cope with the end of his marriage, an inquest has heard.

"He was used to winning," his friend Allan Maher told an inquest into the double murder-suicide yesterday.

Bombara shot both Jennifer Petelczyc and her daughter, Gretl, before turning the gun on himself on May 24, 2024.

He had gone to their house looking for his estranged wife, Rowena, who was best friends with Jennifer Petelczyc.

The double murder was preceded by years of domestic violence, including coercive and financial control, said Kathryn Kraus, the lawyer representing Rowena Bombara and her daughter, Ariel.

Ms Kraus told the court Rowena and Ariel Bombara moved out of their family home and went into hiding in the weeks before the murders, fearing for their lives, and attempted to tell police Bombara was a serious and imminent threat with access to firearms.

This was acknowledged by Acting State Coroner Sarah Linton as she opened the inquest, saying family and domestic violence would be "front and centre".

She explained that while the deceased were not family members of Bombara, "the actions that were taken were in the pursuit of family members".

'Fat wallet' with 'trophy wife'

Mr Maher described Mark Bombara as a "control freak" and a "domineering" man, but did not believe he was violent, suggesting he was "bloody mortified" when he found out what his friend had done.

It was Mr Maher's opinion that Bombara viewed himself as a "short, fat wallet" and Rowena as a "trophy wife" after his business success.

The women drove from Perth to Bombara's rural property at Boyup Brook two days before the murders, and Mr Maher said Bombara would not "shut up" about his wife leaving, and "couldn't cope with the fact he had lost the trophy".

In his rant Bombara said words to the effect of "I'll get the bitch, I'll find her" but Mr Maher said his friend seemed more frustrated rather than angry and seemed not to understand why his wife had left.

When asked by counsel if Bombara indicated a desire to hurt his estranged wife physically, Mr Maher clearly replied: "No."

"I was blissfully ignorant about the depth of what was going on," he said later in the proceedings.

Cable ties purchased

Mr Maher and Bombara drove back to Perth on May 24, 2024, in separate cars, with an agreement to stop and meet up at each service station for a rest.

In Bunbury, Mr Maher entered a shop alongside Bombara, who bought cable ties and a long rain jacket, but the friend did not think anything of it and told the court those items were used all the time on the farm.

Mr Maher first believed something to be amiss when Bombara failed to stop at a Mandurah service station as agreed and went past him at "140 kilometres an hour".

He never saw Bombara again.

Bombara arrived at the Petelczyc family home at 4:14pm that day wearing the coat and he used the cable ties to restrain the women, before he killed them.

Mr Maher told the court, with hindsight, he believed he was used by Bombara, who had planned the murders ahead of time.

At one point on the farm, he said Bombara gave him "a couple hundred dollars" and a grocery list.

While Mr Maher was at the local IGA, he believes Bombara accessed the farm gun safe, taking the firearms he would later use to threaten Jennifer and Gretl.

The inquest will continue today and is expected to hear from the medical professionals who treated Bombara in the weeks before the murders.