Woman charged with accessory to murder of Johnny Birch, who was found partially buried in Glenorie

A second person has been charged over the death of Johnny Birch, whose partially buried body was found in Sydney’s northwest last month.

Police at the scene where Johnny Birch’s body was found in March. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

A second person has been charged over the death of a man whose partially buried body was found in Sydney’s northwest last month.

Police arrested a 35-year-old woman at a property on Gleness Place in Glenorie about 7.30am on Thursday, when she was later charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder and being an accessory before the fact to larceny.

She has been refused bail to face Parramatta Local Court on May 29.

The accessory to murder charge relates to the death of 40-year-old Johnny Birch, whose body was found partially hidden under a tarpaulin on March 14.

His body was discovered in a paddock on the same street where Thursday’s arrest occurred.

Johnny Birch, who was found dead at Glenorie.

The woman’s arrest follows that of 24-year-old James French, who had been wanted over the death of drug trade associate Birch for nine days before heavily armed tactical police found him sleeping in a car and arrested him on March 23.

French, who is charged with Birch’s murder, is behind bars on remand, having not applied for bail.

The scene where the body was found in Glenorie. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Police found Birch’s body after his family reported him missing the night before the discovery.

Officers went to a home on Gleness Place, where relatives said he was believed to have gone the night he disappeared, and found the body in a nearby paddock.

While a post-mortem examination of Birch’s body was inconclusive, police will allege he died from a “blunt force injury”.

Police will also allege Birch and French were known to each other through the drug trade.