The blonde, the brothers and the bullets: Darcy Rotherick refused bail in Lucas Heights shooting case
A 22-year-old woman with a lengthy criminal history – who joked online that she was “so over” being in jail – will spend another night behind bars after being charged over a shooting in Sutherland earlier this year.
Police & Courts
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Darcy Rotherick joked online that she was “so over” being in prison, so it’s not surprising she looked devastated when her bail was refused after allegedly planning a bloody shooting in the city’s south.
The blonde 22-year-old appeared handcuffed on Parramatta bail court’s videolink on Monday where police told the court she was linked to a pair of Sutherland brothers believed to be behind a string of violent attacks.
It was April 1 when a hail of bullets ripped through an apartment window in Caringbah raining glass on a 26-year-old woman. Her face and hands were injured but her baby and partner, who were home at the time, escaped harm.
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A few days earlier a silver Camry had pulled up alongside three men and the driver unleashed several shots – no-one was injured and the car sped away.
Police allege Joshua Goddard was behind them.
They also suspect he was involved in another shooting just a few hours earlier that was, by far, the most brutal.
And they alleged Rotherick allegedly helped make it happen.
At 4am on March 29 a 30-year-old man was allegedly forced to walk into bushland at Lucas Heights by two men unknown to him before he was shot twice in both legs.
He was treated by paramedics at the scene before he was taken to Liverpool Hospital for additional treatment.
Goddard was charged in late April with discharging a firearm to cause grievous bodily harm, firing a firearm in a manner likely to injure people or property, firing a firearm at a home with a disregard for safety, possessing a loaded firearm in a public place and possessing an unauthorised pistol and ammunition.
Police told Rotherick, at about that time, they might want to talk to her about the attacks.
Five days ago Goddard’s brother, Benjamin, was charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possess shortened firearm, shooting with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and acquiring a gun against a prohibition order.
Police allege he too, was involved in the shootings along with the stabbing of a 26-year-old man in Sutherland in late February.
Just after midnight on Monday, officers arrested Rotherick at an apartment in the Rocks and charged her with accessory before the fact to discharge firearm intend cause grievous bodily harm.
The court heard she was at Joshua’s residence, on the evening before the shooting.
Prosecutors told the court Rotherick was texting Benjamin on the evening of the shooting.
“Don’t worry about it just come,” she allegedly texted to Benjamin.
“Want me to grab my tools?” He asked.
“All good just come … Just stick to what we are going to do,” the court heard she said.
The police prosecutor told the court that was the exchange on which the case against her drew strength.
But Rotherick’s lawyer, Angelo Bilias, told the court the case was so “very weak” he couldn’t even identify where in the police documents the offence took place.
He explained Rotherick needed to be released because she had recently had a medical episode and needed care.
He also said she was seeing a psychologist as part of her parole conditions.
A friend had asked Rotherick how she was going in November last year and she explained it was her first day outside custody.
“Went back in for six months lol so over it,” she said.
“I need to stay out this time. it’s not OK anymore hahah.”
The court heard Rotherick had a criminal history including dishonesty offences, threats, harassment, imprisonment in 2018, drug possession, failures to appear, breaches of bonds and warrants in 2017.
The registrar refused her bail.
Her face dropped into her hands and her voice broke as she learned she’d spend at least one more night in custody before facing Central Local Court again on Tuesday.
The Goddard brothers remain before the courts.