NSW: Schoolgirl helps one lover kill the other

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2001
NSW: Schoolgirl helps one lover kill the other

By Denise McNamara

SYDNEY, Aug 16 AAP - A 15-year-old schoolgirl with two young lovers helped one of them
kill the other, a court was told today.

Witnesses allegedly saw the girl in school uniform kicking and hitting her 21-year-old
victim and helping her other lover, aged 18, dispose of the body.

Bidura children's court heard the man, from Belrose, died in hospital after being stabbed
13 times and assaulted while driving his car in Seaforth on July 24.

An 18-year-old catering assistant has also been charged with the man's murder and stealing
his car.

Prosecutor David Vautin said evidence before police suggested the young woman had engaged
in a sexual relationship with both victim and co-accused.

He told the court two workmen saw the victim stumble from his car at about 11.30am.

The witnesses gave evidence to police of a young Asian woman present at the scene fitting
the schoolgirl's appearance and wearing clothes consistent with those she was last seen
in when she left school.

The Crown alleges she went to meet with her co-accused after receiving a phone call from him.

The witnesses saw the female "hitting and kicking the victim while still alive on the
ground", the court was told.

They told police she then allegedly helped throw his body over the front wall of a
nearby house and ran back to the victim's car with the male.

The pair was arrested by police in Newcastle while in the same car the next day.

Two knives were found, one in the car and another at the scene of the killing, which
police believed came from the accused man's house, Mr Vautin said.

Police had evidence of the catering assistant admitting to stabbing the victim at least
once, the court was told.

In applying for bail, the girl's solicitor, Gary Stewart, told the court even if the
teenager was in the car there was no evidence to suggest she committed murder.

"There is no fingerprint evidence, no forensic evidence, no admissions. There are admissions
from the co-accused that he stabbed the deceased but no direct evidence linking this young
woman," Mr Stewart said.

No witness was able to identify the schoolgirl from photos, he said.

In denying bail, Magistrate Liz Corbett said there was circumstantial evidence to suggest
the accused teenager assisted in removing the victim from the car and assaulting him.

The matter was adjourned until September 13.

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