Grim new details emerge about alleged dating app murder where teacher was ‘killed in her bed’ before tradesman ‘jumped out of the window and had a tense cliff-side stand-off with police’
- Tradie Ashley Gaddie, 33, accused of inflicting horrific head injuries
- Danielle Finlay Jones, 31, was found dead in December
- Pair had just started dating after meeting on the app, Bumble
A beloved teacher who was allegedly murdered by her Bumble date was found lying dead in bed, having suffered horrific head injuries, it has been alleged in court.
Ashley Gaddie, 33, was represented by his lawyer at Penrith Local Court in Sydney‘s west on Friday, more than two months after he allegedly murdered Danielle Finlay-Jones, 31.
Police will allege Gaddie and Ms Finlay-Jones had recently met on dating app Bumble when they met up on December 17 and spent the night with her friends.
The couple then returned to Ms Finlay-Jones’ friends’ house in Cranebrook, where Gaddie allegedly murdered his date sometime before 2.30pm on December 18 before fleeing the scene via the front window, according to police allegations.
Her friends, who thought the couple were enjoying a sleep in, discovered the teacher in a bloody state when they checked in on her at 2.30pm.
Tradesman Ashley Gaddie has been charged with the murder of young teacher Dannielle Finlay-Jones
Teacher and soccer enthusiastic Dannielle Finlay-Jones was allegedly killed at a home in Sydney’s west on December 18
Horrific new details about the alleged crime were aired in court on Friday as police pursued an application for his DNA.
According to police facts tendered in court, she was allegedly lying in bed alone with horrific head injuries.
Emergency services were called to the scene, but they pronounced the 31-year-old dead on arrival.
After three days of investigations by specialist officers, Mr Gaddie was arrested just after midnight on December 21 in the NSW Blue Mountains.
Police cornered the Five Dock resident at Fletcher’s Lookout, where he was standing on the cliff edge.
He was arrested at midnight after a dramatic 12-hour standoff with officers at the precarious location.
Pictured: The Cranebrook home where Dannielle Finlay-Jones was found dead on December 18. Police will allege Gaddie killed her then fled out the front window
Police will allege Gaddie and Ms Finlay-Jones had met on a dating app
On Friday, the court was told police were pursuing an application to use a DNA sample taken from Gaddie as admissible evidence.
Although he did not consent, the forensic swab was taken shortly before Christmas to preserve the ‘transient’ nature of the sample.
Gaddie’s lawyer Diane Elston and the police were expected to discuss the forensic application before magistrate George Zdenkowski on Friday, but it did not proceed.
‘It could be the case that (the police application for DNA) will be unopposed,’ Ms Elston told the court.
‘I’ve had some very frank discussions with the officer in charge this morning and I think it’s likely it won’t require much court time.’
The Crown prosecutor and police sergeant agreed to the eight-week adjournment’.
Mr Zdenkowski adjourned the matter until April 28.
Gaddie will remain in custody on remand until the next court date.
He has been behind bars since December last year.
Police are pictured at the Cranebrook house in December
