Woman claimed killed and dumped roommate had gone on holidays

A Caboolture ice addict “callously” covered up the alleged murder of her housemate for a month after her death, helping to clean a car used to move her body and telling police and the victim’s daughter she’d gone on a holiday.

Donna Howe, a 57-year-old Caboolture woman, was allegedly murdered on May 8 last year.

A Caboolture ice addict “callously” covered up the alleged murder of her housemate for a month after her death, helping to clean a car used to move her body and lying to the victim’s daughter and police.

Cassie Anne Reid eventually came clean with detectives, giving them what her barrister described as a “warts and all” confession of her knowledge of 57-year-old grandmother Donna Howe’s death.

Police allege Ms Howe was murdered on May 8 last year and her body discarded in the Glasshouse Mountains before it was discovered by a group four-wheel driving in the area a month later.

Clinton Travis Oliver, Braydon Franklin and Andrew Norman William Redfern are each charged with murder and misconduct with a corpse in relation to Ms Howe’s death and are due to face a committal hearing in November.

Reid, 41, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday to being an accessory after the fact to manslaughter.

Caboolture woman Donna Howe. Picture: Contributed

The court heard Reid had made herself scarce from the shared accommodation on the night of May 8 because she was aware that Oliver allegedly planned to confront her about an issue.

Justice Paul Freeburn accepted there was no evidence Reid believed that confrontation would be physical.

He said after becoming aware of Ms Howe’s murder some time on May 9, Reid “deliberately and callously” assisted in covering up her death, including by purchasing a wet dry vacuum and bleach from Bunnings and helping clean the vehicle allegedly used to move Ms Howe’s body.

Reid had disputed the bleach was purchased as part of the attempts to cover up the crime, claiming she simply saw the bleach at Bunnings when she went to purchase the vacuum and that she bought the five litre bottle because her local supermarkets had been out of bleach stock for some time.

But Justice Freeburn did not accept that claim, finding on the balance of probabilities the bleach purchased two days after Ms Howe’s death was bought for the purpose of “cleaning up after the crime”.

Caboolture woman Donna Howe. Picture: Contributed

“You lied to Ms Howe’s daughter on 7 June in order to support … (the) falsehood that the deceased had gone on holidays with a man named Kerry, and said that you had last seen Ms Howe on 29 May.”

Justice Freeburn said Reid also made misleading, false and withholding statements to police, including about when she last saw Ms Howe.

“I’m instructed to inform the court that my client is deeply remorseful for her actions in assisting others,” barrister Jacob Robson said.

“With the benefit of the time that has passed and the clarity of mind that follows from the forced absence of drugs she realises the enormity of the mistakes which she, albeit after some delay, which she did own up to but which she continues to bear responsibility for and she’s resolved to do everything from here on out to ensure justice is served in this case.”

He said his client did not become aware of Ms Howe’s death a day later on May 9 when she allegedly overheard comments, including from one of the accused men saying “my car has more weight in it”.

Reid, who has already served 462 days in custody, was sentenced to two years and 10 months’ imprisonment with immediate parole release.