Ashley Gaddie refused bail after alleged murder of Dannielle Finlay-Jones
A man charged over the alleged murder of a female school teacher in western Sydney has been refused bail in court this afternoon.
Police & Courts
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A Sydney tradie accused of murdering teacher Dannielle Finlay-Jones has formally been refused bail in court and will remain in custody until at least March next year.
Ashley Gaddie chose not to appear in Penrith Local Court late on Wednesday afternoon during a brief mention of his case, where it was revealed he will oppose a police application to have a forensic DNA swab taken from him.
Magistrate Geoff Hiatt approved the taking of the swab under an interim forensic procedure order, however it is understood legal argument will take place in March regarding the admissibility of the evidence gathered from the procedure.
Gaddie, 33, stands accused of killing Ms Finlay-Jones, 31, sometime in the early hours of Sunday morning inside a home at Cranebrook, near Penrith.
Police will allege the couple, who recently met on a dating app, had spent the night together at the Marsden Brewhouse in Western Sydney, before returning to the suburban home, which belonged to Ms Finlay-Jones’ friends.
When the pair had still not emerged from their room by 2.30pm that afternoon, the home owners went to check on them, but allegedly found Ms Finlay-Jones lying in bed alone, unresponsive and suffering a significant head wound.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police will allege neighbours on Borrowdale Way reported seeing a man running from the house around 5am that day.
Police launched an immediate investigation, allegedly tracking Gaddie to a lookout at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains on Tuesday afternoon.
Specialist negotiators were brought in to communicate with Gaddie, whose address is listed as the Sydney suburb of Five Dock, almost 90kms away, after officers discovered him on the wrong side of the safety barrier at Fletcher’s Lookout.
Images captured at the scene show Gaddie wearing a black and orange high-vis jacket, black ripped skinny jeans and white joggers as he balances precariously on a rock ledge jutting out from the cliff top.
A blue safety rope was seen stretching between Gaddie and the safety barrier, as two negotiators watch on, one appearing in a relaxed state with her arm resting on the barrier and her hand on her chin.
Gaddie was taken to Katoomba Police Station where officers carried out a number of forensic procedures.
He was held in custody overnight before being charged with murder around lunchtime on Wednesday.
In court on Wednesday, defence lawyer Joseph Ormaechea confirmed Gaddie would not be applying for bail and it was formally refused.
Gaddie is expected to be transferred to the Metropolitan Reception and Remand Centre at Silverwater on Wednesday evening where he will be processed and held on remand.
The case will return to court on March 3.
Ms Finlay-Jones worked as a teacher and was heavily involved in the Ramsgate RSL Football Club.
On Tuesday afternoon, police were engaged in a 12-hour stand-off with Gaddie at Fletcher’s Lookout at Wentworth Falls.
Officers found Gaddie on the wrong side of the lookout’s safety barriers and requested special resources and negotiators.
He was arrested just after midnight and taken to Katoomba Police Station where he was charged with murder.
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