20-06-2025
'Vicious murder': one of seven charged after Beaumont Street stabbing makes bail bid
A SUPREME Court judge has described the fatal stabbing of James Callahan on Beaumont Street last year as a "vicious murder" as one of seven people charged made a bid for bail on Friday.
Dianne Fernando, 39, will have to wait until at least next week to find out if she will be let out on bail after Acting Justice Monika Schmidt told the court she needed more time to reflect on arguments put forward.
Police allege Fernando was driving one of the vehicles captured on CCTV on the night of the fatal stabbing at Hamilton on November 17, 2024.
Crown prosecutor Liam Shaw opposed Fernando's bail bid, calling the alleged murder a "shocking crime".
"The Crown hasn't included the footage because it is too distressing to watch," he said.
Mr Shaw alleged Fernando moved the car she was driving one to two metres closer to the altercation that took Mr Callahan's life, blocking the street and "providing lighting" to the people stabbing him.
"It's not just the provision of the knife; from the beginning to the end, the applicant played a part in this episode," he said.
Fernando was arrested after detectives from Newcastle's proactive crime team stopped a car on Albert Street at Lambton just before 1pm on February 4.
Her solicitor argued elements of the Crown case were "circumstantial" and that if she was to be refused bail, Fernando could remain in custody until a trial at the end of 2026 or the start of 2027.
"What we say in terms of the police case against Fernando is that it is largely based on CCTV of her movements, the use of her mobile phone, her proximity to what happened and something a witness heard that they said she said," he said.
"Ms Fernando maintains what she said to the police in a statement provided to them that in terms of ultimately what happened, she didn't know what was going on, she wasn't told anything, and she was dumbfounded."
The court heard that one of the passengers in the car claims she heard Fernando tell another passenger she shouldn't have given her a knife.
Fernando's solicitor argued it was her first time in custody and that before she was arrested, she cared for five of her seven children.
He said that prior to being arrested, Fernando suffered serious mental health issues and had sought help from her GP.
Acting Justice Schmidt said she expected to deliver her decision early next week.
Fernando's solicitor said she had "some criminal history largely made up of driving offences and more recently, but not too recently, some larcenies, fraud and an affray" and mentioned she was on a community corrections order at the time.
Newcastle City police officers have been investigating the alleged murder of Mr Callahan under Strike Force Mannum, backed by the State Crime Command's homicide squad.
A SUPREME Court judge has described the fatal stabbing of James Callahan on Beaumont Street last year as a "vicious murder" as one of seven people charged made a bid for bail on Friday.
Dianne Fernando, 39, will have to wait until at least next week to find out if she will be let out on bail after Acting Justice Monika Schmidt told the court she needed more time to reflect on arguments put forward.
Police allege Fernando was driving one of the vehicles captured on CCTV on the night of the fatal stabbing at Hamilton on November 17, 2024.
Crown prosecutor Liam Shaw opposed Fernando's bail bid, calling the alleged murder a "shocking crime".
"The Crown hasn't included the footage because it is too distressing to watch," he said.
Mr Shaw alleged Fernando moved the car she was driving one to two metres closer to the altercation that took Mr Callahan's life, blocking the street and "providing lighting" to the people stabbing him.
"It's not just the provision of the knife; from the beginning to the end, the applicant played a part in this episode," he said.
Fernando was arrested after detectives from Newcastle's proactive crime team stopped a car on Albert Street at Lambton just before 1pm on February 4.
Her solicitor argued elements of the Crown case were "circumstantial" and that if she was to be refused bail, Fernando could remain in custody until a trial at the end of 2026 or the start of 2027.
"What we say in terms of the police case against Fernando is that it is largely based on CCTV of her movements, the use of her mobile phone, her proximity to what happened and something a witness heard that they said she said," he said.
"Ms Fernando maintains what she said to the police in a statement provided to them that in terms of ultimately what happened, she didn't know what was going on, she wasn't told anything, and she was dumbfounded."
The court heard that one of the passengers in the car claims she heard Fernando tell another passenger she shouldn't have given her a knife.
Fernando's solicitor argued it was her first time in custody and that before she was arrested, she cared for five of her seven children.
He said that prior to being arrested, Fernando suffered serious mental health issues and had sought help from her GP.
Acting Justice Schmidt said she expected to deliver her decision early next week.
Fernando's solicitor said she had "some criminal history largely made up of driving offences and more recently, but not too recently, some larcenies, fraud and an affray" and mentioned she was on a community corrections order at the time.
Newcastle City police officers have been investigating the alleged murder of Mr Callahan under Strike Force Mannum, backed by the State Crime Command's homicide squad.
A SUPREME Court judge has described the fatal stabbing of James Callahan on Beaumont Street last year as a "vicious murder" as one of seven people charged made a bid for bail on Friday.
Dianne Fernando, 39, will have to wait until at least next week to find out if she will be let out on bail after Acting Justice Monika Schmidt told the court she needed more time to reflect on arguments put forward.
Police allege Fernando was driving one of the vehicles captured on CCTV on the night of the fatal stabbing at Hamilton on November 17, 2024.
Crown prosecutor Liam Shaw opposed Fernando's bail bid, calling the alleged murder a "shocking crime".
"The Crown hasn't included the footage because it is too distressing to watch," he said.
Mr Shaw alleged Fernando moved the car she was driving one to two metres closer to the altercation that took Mr Callahan's life, blocking the street and "providing lighting" to the people stabbing him.
"It's not just the provision of the knife; from the beginning to the end, the applicant played a part in this episode," he said.
Fernando was arrested after detectives from Newcastle's proactive crime team stopped a car on Albert Street at Lambton just before 1pm on February 4.
Her solicitor argued elements of the Crown case were "circumstantial" and that if she was to be refused bail, Fernando could remain in custody until a trial at the end of 2026 or the start of 2027.
"What we say in terms of the police case against Fernando is that it is largely based on CCTV of her movements, the use of her mobile phone, her proximity to what happened and something a witness heard that they said she said," he said.
"Ms Fernando maintains what she said to the police in a statement provided to them that in terms of ultimately what happened, she didn't know what was going on, she wasn't told anything, and she was dumbfounded."
The court heard that one of the passengers in the car claims she heard Fernando tell another passenger she shouldn't have given her a knife.
Fernando's solicitor argued it was her first time in custody and that before she was arrested, she cared for five of her seven children.
He said that prior to being arrested, Fernando suffered serious mental health issues and had sought help from her GP.
Acting Justice Schmidt said she expected to deliver her decision early next week.
Fernando's solicitor said she had "some criminal history largely made up of driving offences and more recently, but not too recently, some larcenies, fraud and an affray" and mentioned she was on a community corrections order at the time.
Newcastle City police officers have been investigating the alleged murder of Mr Callahan under Strike Force Mannum, backed by the State Crime Command's homicide squad.
A SUPREME Court judge has described the fatal stabbing of James Callahan on Beaumont Street last year as a "vicious murder" as one of seven people charged made a bid for bail on Friday.
Dianne Fernando, 39, will have to wait until at least next week to find out if she will be let out on bail after Acting Justice Monika Schmidt told the court she needed more time to reflect on arguments put forward.
Police allege Fernando was driving one of the vehicles captured on CCTV on the night of the fatal stabbing at Hamilton on November 17, 2024.
Crown prosecutor Liam Shaw opposed Fernando's bail bid, calling the alleged murder a "shocking crime".
"The Crown hasn't included the footage because it is too distressing to watch," he said.
Mr Shaw alleged Fernando moved the car she was driving one to two metres closer to the altercation that took Mr Callahan's life, blocking the street and "providing lighting" to the people stabbing him.
"It's not just the provision of the knife; from the beginning to the end, the applicant played a part in this episode," he said.
Fernando was arrested after detectives from Newcastle's proactive crime team stopped a car on Albert Street at Lambton just before 1pm on February 4.
Her solicitor argued elements of the Crown case were "circumstantial" and that if she was to be refused bail, Fernando could remain in custody until a trial at the end of 2026 or the start of 2027.
"What we say in terms of the police case against Fernando is that it is largely based on CCTV of her movements, the use of her mobile phone, her proximity to what happened and something a witness heard that they said she said," he said.
"Ms Fernando maintains what she said to the police in a statement provided to them that in terms of ultimately what happened, she didn't know what was going on, she wasn't told anything, and she was dumbfounded."
The court heard that one of the passengers in the car claims she heard Fernando tell another passenger she shouldn't have given her a knife.
Fernando's solicitor argued it was her first time in custody and that before she was arrested, she cared for five of her seven children.
He said that prior to being arrested, Fernando suffered serious mental health issues and had sought help from her GP.
Acting Justice Schmidt said she expected to deliver her decision early next week.
Fernando's solicitor said she had "some criminal history largely made up of driving offences and more recently, but not too recently, some larcenies, fraud and an affray" and mentioned she was on a community corrections order at the time.
Newcastle City police officers have been investigating the alleged murder of Mr Callahan under Strike Force Mannum, backed by the State Crime Command's homicide squad.
