A meth addict who gave a killer she just met a lift to his crime scene has been acquitted of helping him murder an innocent man.
Tamara Fenton accepted $10 to drive John Evans, 35, to a unit in Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast where, unbeknownst to her, he planned to rob a drug dealer.
However, ‘Santa Claus’, as the dealer was known, had moved out and beloved retired architect and surfer Leslie Wallace, 65, was unpacking boxes when Evans burst in.
Meth addict Tamara Fenton gave a killer she just met a lift to his crime scene and has now been acquitted of helping him murder an innocent man
She accepted $10 to drive John Evans, 35, to a unit in Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast where he beat beloved retired architect and surfer Leslie Wallace, 65, (pictued) to death
He was tied up with duct tape and beaten to death by Evans in what the NSW Supreme Court heard was a ‘prolonged attack’.
The killer was soon caught and pleaded guilty to murder, kidnapping and breaking and entering.
But the mother-of-one was soon facing the same charges after Evans claimed she helped him beat Mr Wallace then drove him to another break and enter nearby.
Evans in exchange received a discounted sentence of 24 years jail with a non-parole period of 18 years, according to the Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate.
It would have been 32 years if he hadn’t offered his ‘assistance to authorities’ to testify against Ms Fenton, Justice Robert Allan Hulme said.
Evans planned to rob a drug dealer known as ‘Santa Claus’ after Ms Fenton drove him there, but he had moved out and the killer got the wrong man
The killer was soon caught and pleaded guilty to murder, kidnapping and breaking and entering in exchange for dobbing in Ms Fenton
Mr Wallace (pictured) was tied up with duct tape and beaten to death by Evans in what the NSW Supreme Court heard was a ‘prolonged attack’.
The accused woman spent two years defending herself while losing friends she’d known since high school as everyone assumed she was guilty.
First she spent eight days on remand coming down from her ice addiction, then four months in jail until she got bail, then reported to police 500 times before trial.
Finally a jury last week found her not guilty of any role in Mr Wallace’s death, and she was allowed to walk free and rebuild her life.
‘It was over as fast as it began. It didn’t take a brain surgeon to know what really happened. I was telling the truth and he was lying,’ she said.
Ms Fenton said she knew she was innocent and had no idea what Evans planned to do that night when he offered her $10 for a lift.
‘In those days and in those ways, in the drug (world) anything for extra money or extra drugs was fine,’ she said.
‘Looking back now it’s like ‘you idiot’. Yuck, you derro, druggie sort of person.’
The mother-of-one (posting this selfie on the first day of her trial) spent two years defending herself while losing friends she’d known since high school as everyone assumed she was guilty
Finally a jury last week found her not guilty of any role in Mr Wallace’s death, and she was allowed to walk free and rebuild her life
But Ms Fenton said the experience changed her for the better as it gave her the ‘ultimate wakeup call’ to get off drugs and make a better life for herself.
‘I’ve lost a ridiculous amount of time. Tears of sadness, tears of joy. Loss of friendships loss of trust over this,’ she wrote on Facebook after the verdict.
‘Massive appreciation to the 12 jurors! Most of all the wonderful support I’ve had from my family and friends throughout this time of hardship.
‘At the end of the day I’ve learnt many lessons over this time and am forever thankful and grateful for everything I’ve got.’