Transgender escort charged with conspiracy to murder friend’s ex
A transgender escort, who identifies as a woman, was charged with conspiring to kill her friend’s former boyfriend using the party drug GHB. Marissa Tofield appeared in court today to seek bail, saying she feared being at risk of harm in the all male prison she was being held in.
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A transgender escort, who identifies as a woman, allegedly plotted to murder her friend’s ex with a fatal dose of the party drug GHB.
Marissa Tofield, whose online profile says she is an “entertainer” and “entrepreneur”, told Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday “It was a conversation I had while on amphetamines” and “I don’t want to kill anyone” over police claims that detectives captured her on a tapped phone call hatching a plan to kill Raimondo Corak-Phan.
Mr Corak-Phan is currently behind bars with his bail refused on unrelated charges and is the 30-year-old ex partner of Balmain 28-year-old Claire Dawson.
Ms Dawson is also charged with conspiring to murder Mr Corak-Phan and police allege she was on the phone to Ms Tofield on December 8 or the following day when they spoke about the murder plan.
Police raided Ms Tofield’s Glebe apartment on Friday where they found 15ml of GHB, which is a potentially fatal dose, the court heard.
During the Glebe raid and another on a Balmain unit, police uncovered cannabis, methylamphetamine, mobile phones, laptops and other documents.
Ms Tofield, 27, was refused bail in court on Saturday on one charge of conspiracy to murder while Ms Dawson, who is facing the same charge, did not apply.
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In arguing for her release, Ms Tofield’s lawyer told the court she was scheduled for gender reassignment surgery and would miss the appointment if kept behind bars.
The lawyer also told the court she was being kept in an all male prison and would be at risk of being harmed. He also outlined numerous mental health conditions that Ms Tofield needed treatment for.
However, Acting Magistrate John Bailey was not convinced and told the court the surgery was “elective” and “not urgent”.
The magistrate also told the court that prisons “have medical facilities” that could adequately treat Ms Tofield’s conditions and she could be placed in protective custody.
One of the issues for Ms Tofield was that the magistrate noted she had a terrible prior record on not turning up to court when required.
“I have not a lot of confidence that she will turn up,” Magistrate Bailey told the court.
Upon hearing she would be refused bail, Ms Tofield said: “Please just rethink this for a second … I would never do anything harmful to anyone.
“I will neck myself if get locked up … If you lock me up I will kill myself, it will be on you.”
Magistrate Bailey placed Ms Tofield on suicide watch.
Ms Dawson did not apply for bail.
Both women were ordered to appear at Central Local Court on January 16.