Angela Marcus to fight allegations she helped in the alleged kidnapping of Grace Hughes

One of five people accused of being involved in the kidnapping of Darwin girl Grace Hughes has indicated she will fight the charges against her.

A Darwin woman will fight allegations she helped conspiracy theorists hide a five-year-old girl allegedly taken from her family.

Angela Rita Marcus appeared in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday charged with aiding another to commit an offence.

The 48-year-old was one of five people charged over the alleged abduction and disappearance of Grace Hughes.

A national search was launched for the five-year-old girl who went missing for 12 days after allegedly being taken from a supervised parental visit in Berrimah in August.

Angela Rita Marcus appeared in Darwin Local Court charged of aiding another to commit an offence in relation to the kidnapping of five-year-old Grace Hughes. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Police will allege Marcus helped a group in the immediate wake of Grace’s kidnapping.

It will be alleged Marcus aided in Grace’s abduction from Sunday August 7 to Tuesday August 9.

The 48-year-old woman was initially charged with abducting a child under 16, but that was downgraded in her last appearance in September to aiding another to commit an offence.

In her Tuesday hearing, which lasted less than a minute, defence lawyer Shane McMasters asked for an adjournment for a directions hearing.

In this hearing Marcus is expected to contest the kidnapping-related charges.

In her co-accused’s first appearance, Juliet Oldroyd told the court she feared a conspiracy of “high up people” would retaliate against her.

She was also later charged for allegedly sending religious-themed threats to a police officer.

Laura Hinks, 34, and her 5-year-old daughter Grace Hughes were missing in August. Picture: Supplied/NTPFES

Judge Tanya Fong Lim reminded Marcus of her bail conditions, including that she not contact five people.

Ms Fong Lim said Marcus was not to contact her co-accused Laura Hinks and Ms Oldroyd, as well as a pair expected to appear in court later this month.

Ms Oldroyd’s husband Craig Oldroyd, who has not been charged in relation to the alleged kidnapping, was also named on Marcus’s bail conditions.

Marcus’s bail was extended and she was excused from appearing at her next court hearing in November.

“You don’t have to be here as long as your lawyer is here,” Ms Fong Lim said.

“If your lawyer is not here and they come along and say ‘we haven’t been in contact, we don’t know what is happening’ a warrant will be issued for your arrest.”