JAMES Anthony Cunneen, who helped dump the body of murdered mother Carly McBride and lied to police to protect her killer, has been jailed for a maximum of seven-and-a-half years on Friday.
Cunneen, now 31, was in July found guilty of being an accessory after the fact to murder over the brutal death of Ms McBride, a jury finding he knew all along what happened to the "missing" mother.
Cunneen knew because his mate, Ms McBride's boyfriend Sayle Kenneth Newson, told him on the afternoon of September 30, 2014, that he had just picked her up in Muswellbrook and, in a jealous and ice-fuelled rage, bashed her to death.
And then, shortly after hearing that shocking news, Cunneen and Newson put their heads together and came up with a plan to dispose of Ms McBride's body, create a false alibi for Newson and point the finger at Ms McBride's ex-partner.
Ms McBride's skeletal remains were found in bushland at Owens Gap in August, 2016.
Newson was found guilty of murder last year and is serving a maximum 27-year jail sentence.
Cunneen, who was taken back behind bars in July after the jury's verdict, was on Friday jailed for a maximum of seven-and-a-half years, with a non-parole period of four years.
With time served he will be eligible for parole in May, 2026.
Full story to come.
