Arabic version: حكم مع وقف التنفيذ لامرأة أخفت سلاح طعن مزعوماً

According to ABC News, Jade Brenda Laing has received a four-year prison sentence, wholly suspended for five years, after pleading guilty to helping her then-partner flee and dispose of a knife allegedly used in the 2023 fatal stabbing of Dylan McPadden on the Gold Coast.

Laing, 33, initially faced a charge of being an accessory after the fact to murder. The charge was downgraded to accessory after the fact with malicious intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The Brisbane Supreme Court heard she collected Tyler Rewi Malcolm Hailes from Robina’s RQ’s Tavern, drove him away knowing he had allegedly stabbed a man, stopped so he could throw a knife into water, and later helped hide his clothing.

The court also heard Laing told police that the pair had not left their home that night and that she knew nothing about the weapon. Justice Peter Davis said Laing had been subjected to sustained domestic violence by Mr Hailes, including repeated alleged abuse over a six-month period, and that the threat he posed affected her decisions.

Mr McPadden, 26, was fatally stabbed outside the tavern in August 2023. His father, Bruce McPadden, described the loss of his son as unbearable, while his mother Carol and girlfriend Amara Pato also gave victim impact statements. Justice Davis said Mr McPadden was completely innocent and acknowledged his family’s “unimaginable loss”.

Mr Hailes has been charged with Mr McPadden’s murder and is expected to face trial in December.