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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Sam Rigney

Jury hears fear of orchestrated home invasion, kidnapping preceded murder

Danielle Easey was killed and her body dumped in Cockle Creek in 2019. Justin Dilosa has pleaded not guilty to her murder and is on trial in NSW Supreme Court.

A MAN and woman were "worried" Danielle Easey was going to orchestrate a home invasion, kidnapping or identity theft before she was stabbed and struck in the head at a house on the Central Coast in 2019, a NSW Supreme Court jury has heard.

Justin Kent Dilosa, now 37, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Easey and is facing an estimated six-week trial in NSW Supreme Court.

He denies being involved in Ms Easey's killing, but admits to participating in the cover-up and dumping of Ms Easey's body in Cockle Creek and has pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact.

The jury has been told there is no dispute that Carol McHenry, Mr Dilosa's ex-partner, "had a part to play in the killing of Danielle Easey".

But it is the prosecution case that both Ms McHenry and Mr Dilosa were "directly involved" in Ms Easey's death and Mr Dilosa stabbed Ms Easey in the home at Narara on August 17, 2019.

Ms Easey's body was later found wrapped in plastic and duct tape in Cockle Creek at Killingworth on August 31.

Jeremy Princehorn, a former friend of Mr Dilosa, has given evidence that he was driven to the house in Reeves Street the day after the murder and shown the body of Ms Easey lying face down on a bed.

He said on Tuesday that after seeing Mr Dilosa lift up Ms Easey's arm, he quickly left the bedroom and spoke with Ms McHenry.

"I asked her who did it and she said she did it," Mr Princehorn said. "She stabbed her. "I think Justin came out [of the bedroom] afterwards and told me he did it as well. They both told me they did it."

Mr Princehorn said he had been drinking heavily, using drugs and not sleeping in the days before he was shown the body and the pair allegedly confessed.

When asked by Crown prosecutor John Stanhope if anything was said by Mr Dilosa or Ms McHenry about why the had killed Ms Easey, Mr Princehorn claimed they mentioned a number of reasons.

"I think Carol was going to get kidnapped or run in on and identity theft as well," Mr Princehorn said.

"Apparently there was a group of black fellas. They said something like "five big black c---s were going to run in". They were worried about Carol being kidnapped. Both of them were worried."

When asked about identify theft, Mr Princehorn said the pair claimed Ms Easey had Ms McHenry's children's identification and bank account details.

Mr Princehorn was also asked about cable ties being at the house at Narara and claimed Mr Dilosa had told him "they had [Ms Easey] tied up at some point".

Under cross-examination from Public Defender Angus Webb, Mr Princehorn said it was possible Mr Dilosa had told him "I don't know what she's done" during a discussion around a bonfire in Mr Princehorn's backyard on the night of the murder.

The trial will focus on the evidence of several former associates of Ms McHenry and Mr Dilosa, who Mr Stanhope said were involved in using methamphetamine, and who say the pair made a number of admissions about murdering Ms Easey.

"Everything was fine until the crack ran out," Mr Dilosa allegedly told an associate. "She started to lose it. "She was saying she was gonna bring everyone down. Then it happened. I stabbed her in the head and in the back."

The trial, before Justice Deborah Sweeney, continues.

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