Daughter accused of dark web murder plot back behind bars after bail revoked again

The young woman accused of using the dark web in an attempt to find a hitman to murder her parents is back behind bars after her bail was revoked for a second time.

The 27-year-old was hauled back before the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday (1 December) because she breached a condition of her bail which only allowed her one mobile phone.

She was arrested earlier that morning. Police were investigating a stolen car when they spoke to her, didn’t charge her over the car, but did search her and found the second phone.

Legal Aid’s Solitaire Zahnleiter said the woman admitted the breach, with prosecutor Keegan Lee describing it as a “blatant breach of a condition that was designed to protect the community”.

He said she lied to police when she originally told them the phone belonged to someone else. But police checked messages on it that showed they had been sent from her to another person.

Ms Zahnleiter said the woman had already spent nine months in custody over her charges – attempted murder and inciting murder to which she has pleaded not guilty – and hadn’t been able to access enough support for her significant mental health issues over that time.

She said after the woman was released on bail more than a month ago, there had been no other offending since then, and she claimed to have a job lined up.

Mr Lee said she had already breached her bail twice this year, relating to curfew, and her bail was revoked after the second time before it was granted again several weeks ago.

Magistrate Robert Cook said the woman was “well aware” further breaches of her bail could see it revoked, “and here she’s done it again”.

He revoked bail and remanded her in custody.

RiotACT has previously reported that the woman, who stood to inherit a share of $8 million if her parents died, has denied knowing anything about their alleged attempted murder.

Court documents allege that in September 2020, the woman went into her parents’ home when they were away and transferred $15,000 from her mother’s bank account to a shared account, then on to her own.

Police alleged on 24 September the woman bought $6000-worth of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin and went onto a dark-web site that advertised services including “murder for hire”.

On the site, prices for “accidental murder” were reportedly advertised for “as low as $7000”, and users could submit a “job” request and upload a photo of an intended target.

Police allege the woman created an account and talked to site administrator ‘Juan’.

“Having trouble using the shop function to submit job enquiry so will do it here. Willing to pay $20,000AUD to have this done as soon as possible. 2 individuals, death by accident if at all possible,” she is alleged to have said.

She then allegedly provided the names of her parents and their home address, adding: “I require this job to be done ASAP.”

Police allege Juan agreed to her enquiry and she sent him about $6000-worth of Bitcoin, but then stopped responding to his requests to send the rest of the $20,000.

The woman and her parents cannot be named for legal reasons. She will return to court later in December.