Girl with 'collar bomb' round neck rescued

Girl with 'collar bomb' round neck rescued

An Australian millionaire's terrified daughter was freed by cops Wednesday night after TEN hours with a "collar bomb" round her neck.

Madeleine Pulver, 18, feared she would be blown up at any moment after a man in a ski mask burst into her home.

He forced her to stay still while chaining the device to her in the kitchen.

Reports said the maniac left a two-page note pinned to her chest, warning that if she went to cops or cut the cords he would detonate the bomb by remote control.

He fled after telling Madeleine the collar was fitted with a microphone so he could hear what she was saying. The pretty blonde called police from the luxury family home in Mosman - one of the wealthiest suburbs of Sydney, Australia.

Bomb squad officers tried to reassure the teenager until her ordeal finally ended when they gingerly removed the collar.

It was hours before X-rays and other thorough tests revealed that the "very elaborate" device did not contain real explosives.

The terror echoes the plot of the 2006 horror movie Saw III in which a madman fits a collar of shotgun cartridges round a pretty victim's neck.

Two brave cops had sat calming Madeleine amid fears that a sudden movement would trigger the bomb. She was not even allowed to talk to her parents in case of a tearful outburst.

Police chief Mark Murdoch said Madeleine "did a great job keeping her emotions in check".

Cops sought advice from Brit booby trap experts before removing the collar. Mr Murdoch said: "It was a tough nut to crack."

Madeleine wept as she was reunited with her father William and mother Belinda - one of Sydney's wealthiest couples. They had been kept at a safe distance from the house. Madeleine was then taken to hospital for a check-up.

William said later: "We are extraordinarily proud of Maddie.

"I think she is in pretty good spirits. She's a little tired, a little sore from holding this damned device in place for ten hours."

He added: "Maddie particularly wanted to thank the many officers who spent hours sitting with her. They were an incredible comfort. They know who they are and she is incredibly grateful."

The extortionist's motive was baffling cops. Mr Murdoch said: "The family are at a loss to explain it. We want to get our hands on who's done this."

Police refused to speculate on any link to a man accused of trying to extort cash from rich Sydney families. Madeleine's father is chief executive of a technology company and a renowned charity fundraiser.

Friends of Madeleine at exclusive Wenona Girls School gathered at the police cordon to show their support.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has likened the ordeal to "a Hollywood script". She said it's "the kind of thing you would see at the cinema or on TV. You would never expect it to happen in real life in Australia". - www.thesun.co.uk

Continue reading/Read more: http://dailychilli.com/

source: http://dailychilli.com/