Brother of girl accused of murdering Cassius Turvey says he lied to police to protect her

The brother of a woman charged with murder over the death of Perth teenager Cassius Turvey has told a court he lied to police about who he saw in possession of the alleged murder weapon on the day of the incident two years ago.

Tyler Gilmore, 21, gave evidence on the fourth day of the trial over death of 15-year-old Cassius in October 22. His sister, Aleesha Gilmore, 23, her now ex-boyfriend Jack Brearley, 23, and their friends Brodie Palmer, 29 and Mitchell Forth, 27 are all alleged to be responsible for Cassius’ death.

Tyler Gilmore is the brother of Aleesha Gilmore who is accused of murdering Cassius Turvey.Credit: Facebook

A fifth person, Ethan Mackenzie, 20, is also on trial, accused of detaining and wounding another 15-year-old boy in the days before Cassius was attacked. He is not accused of murdering Cassius.

Prosecutors claim Cassius died after suffering fatal blows to the head with a metal shopping trolley handle.

In the Supreme Court of WA on Thursday, Tyler Gilmore, who gave evidence via video link, said he and his younger brother Cody had begun receiving messages and phone calls from boys who wanted to fight them on the day Cassius was attacked.

He also said he had been told a large group was planning to “run through” their Middle Swan house – meaning, to “smash it up” – with the conflict stemming from an argument over a girl Cody had started dating a few days earlier.

Tyler told the jury he called his sister Aleesha for help. She arrived half an hour later with her then-boyfriend Brearley and co-accused Palmer and Forth.

Asked by prosecutor Ben Stanwix what happened next, Tyler said the quartet started “getting weapons and stuff”, telling the court that Palmer alone was “making trolley poles” from shopping trolleys discarded in an alleyway next to their home.

He added that he did not remember seeing anyone else carrying the makeshift weapons, but, under cross-examination, Palmer’s lawyer Christian Porter suggested to Tyler he was lying to protect his sister and her boyfriend.

“You are aware that there was a young boy who died because of these events?,” Porter asked Tyler.

“Yes,” he responded.

This statement was taken in the context of a murder investigation, and you lied to the police? – Yes.

You lied to protect Aleesha and Jack? – Yes.

You said you were absolutely certain that you saw Brodie Palmer and only Brodie Palmer breaking poles off trolleys in the alley next to your house? – Yes.

And we’ve also established that in a statement that you gave recently, you said you weren’t sure whether or not it was Brodie Palmer or whether Jack Brearley was there. That’s what you said in a statement a month ago? - Yeh … I wasn’t really sure who was actually in the alleyway after the first group.

You’re guessing at what happened? – Yes.

Prosecutors previously told the jury it was their case that Brearley was the person responsible for delivering the fatal blows to Cassius but, through his lawyer, Brearley denied it was him and pointed the finger instead at former friend Palmer.

Brearley’s lawyer Simon Watters also told the jury that his client claimed Cassius was carrying a knife on the day he was chased across a reserve in Middle Swan before he was caught by Brearley.

The accused then claimed the 15-year-old stabbed him in the leg, resulting in a punch to the face by Brearley, who tried to get away.

Watters told the jury his client then saw Palmer walk up to the teenager and bash him two or three times with the metal handle of a shopping trolley.

The trial continues.

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