The foster brother of murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer has lodged an appeal of his four-year sentence.
Trent Thorburn, 20, confessed to having sex with the 12-year-old when he was 18, and told his mother he may have gotten Tiahleigh pregnant.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury and one count each of incest and attempting to pervert the course of justice at Beenleigh District Court on Thursday.
On Friday he argued in the Queensland Court of Appeal the sentence was ‘manifestly excessive in all the circumstances’, The Courier Mail reported.
The foster brother (pictured) of murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer has lodged an appeal of his four-year sentence
Trent Thorburn, 20, confessed to having sex with the 12-year-old (pictured) when he was 18, and told his mother he may have gotten Tiahleigh pregnant
A drawing of Trent Thorburn at the Beenleigh District Court in Queensland on Thursday
An appeal date has not been set and Thorburn has yet to nominate a lawyer.
Thorburn served almost a year in pre-sentence custody, and parole release date was set for January 20, 2018.
The confession of Tiahleigh Palmer’s foster brother to his mother that he’d had sex with the slain schoolgirl was a ‘catalyst’ for her death, the court heard.
The court heard Thorburn, then 18, had sex with Tiahleigh, 12, at least once during the weeks leading up to her death in late October 2015.
The court heard Thorburn, then 18, had sex with Tiahleigh (pictured) at least once during the weeks leading up to her death in late October 2015
Trent Thorburn, the foster brother of slain Queensland schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer, has admitted to having a sexual relationship with the 12-year-old
Tiahleigh’s body was found on the banks of a northern Gold Coast river in November 2015, six days after police allege she was murdered by her foster father Richard Thorburn.
Crown prosecutor David Nardone said Thorburn, fearing Tiahleigh was pregnant, had confessed to his mother Julene he’d had sex with her.
‘His confession to his mother was the catalyst for Tiahleigh’s murder,’ Mr Nardone said.
The court heard Thorburn had also admitted his sexual relationship with Tiahleigh in a Facebook messenger conversation with his cousin before confessing to his mother.
he confession of Tiahleigh Palmer’s (pictured) foster brother to his mother that he’d had sex with the slain schoolgirl was a ‘catalyst’ for her death, the court heard
Police allege the 12-year-old was murdered by her foster father Richard Thorburn (pictured)
Following Tiahleigh’s death, Thorburn repeatedly denied having had sex with her to police as well as denying he knew anything about her murder.
Thorburn then maintained those lies to a Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) hearing in June 2016 before admitting his sexual relationship with his foster sister during another CCC hearing in September.
He did however continue to deny knowing anything about Tiahleigh’s disappearance or death in that second hearing, Mr Nardone said.
During that second CCC hearing, Thorburn alleged Tiahleigh had initiated the sexual act and he was unable to resist her advances due to being under the influence of alcohol.
Cindy Palmer, Tiahleigh’s mother, is seen at the Beenleigh District Court in Queensland on Thursday
The court heard Thorburn (pictured) admitted his sexual relationship with Tiahleigh in a Facebook messenger conversation with his cousin
Mother of the murdered schoolgirl Cindy Palmer (second right), with friends and family outside the Beenleigh District Court
In July, Thorburn’s older brother Josh (pictured) was sentenced to 15 months jail after pleading guilty to perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice
Judge Craig Chowdhury dismissed the allegation as ‘completely implausible’.
The sentencing hearing continues.
In July, Thorburn’s older brother Josh was sentenced to 15 months jail after pleading guilty to perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
His sentence will be suspended after three months for three years.
Thorburn’s mother Julene Thorburn is due to face sentencing on charges of perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice in November.
Police allege Rick Thorburn (left) took his foster daughter’s life after finding out his son Trent (right) had been sexually assaulting her during the time she had been in the family’s care
A Queensland Police poster asking for assistance for information into the murder of the schoolgirl