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National

Supreme Court hears Danielle Easey murder co-accused tried to order arson attack

The New South Wales Supreme Court has heard an arson attack was planned to destroy a crime scene linked to a murder trial.

The body of Danielle Easey, 29, was wrapped in plastic and dumped in Cockle Creek at Killingworth, near Newcastle, in 2019.

Justin Kent Dilosa and Carol McHenry have pleaded not guilty to murdering her as part of a joint criminal enterprise.

Carol Marie McHenry is also accused of impersonating Ms Easey on social media to gain access to money after she died.

The court has been told Mr Dilosa murdered Ms Easey at a house in Narara on the Central Coast on August 17.

The court heard her body was stored at a chicken factory at Cardiff before being discovered in a creek two weeks later.

Recordings and transcripts from phone taps, along with text messages, were played and read out in court today.

They focused on the Narara house where Ms McHenry lived, which was also the alleged crime scene.

The messages included a conversation between Ms McHenry and three people who cannot be named for legal reasons.

'Up in flames'

The court heard she told the trio she wanted her Narara home to "go up in flames".

"Make it look like an insurance job — there is a gas heater with sheets and clothes in front of it," she allegedly told the trio.

"There is a can of petrol at the side, use that if you need it, don't lift the left side of the blanket up, just light it, make sure my room goes up first."

The court heard that one of the three people told police that Ms McHenry asked them in person to commit an arson attack but they refused.

The court was told Ms McHenry then drove them home.

Today the jury was shown bloodstained bedding from Ms McHenry's bed.

The police officer in charge of the investigation Detective Sergeant Peter Rudens told the court DNA testing showed the blood matched Ms Easey's profile.

The court was told Ms Easey was stabbed and bludgeoned to death on Ms McHenry's bed before she was moved in a van and driven to an old chicken factory where Mr Dilosa was living.

Ms McHenry's lawyer Antony Evers told the jury that his client "saw Mr Dilosa attacking Danielle Easy with a hammer and a knife".

"She went along with what Mr Dilosa wanted to do because she was scared she would be next," Mr Evers said.

Ms McHenry has pleaded guilty to an alternate charge of accessory after the fact.

The trial continues.

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