Tears from murder accused

A SYDNEY woman accused of cutting off her mother’s head broke down in court as she consented to police taking forensic samples from her body.

Jessica Camilleri appeared in Penrith Local Court yesterday sporting a cast on her right arm almost three weeks after she allegedly decapitated her mother Rita with kitchen knives in their St Clair home before placing her head in a neighbour’s front yard.

Magistrate Peter Thompson told the 25-year-old murder accused that police needed her permission to take fingerprint samples and also permission to use samples of her blood, nails and hair that were taken when she was arrested on the night of July 20.

Police allege Camilleri killed her 57-year-old mother in the kitchen of their house before calling triple-0.

The court was told an interim order was imposed to stop detectives using the other samples of Camilleri’s blood, nails and hair because she was deemed too mentally unwell to properly consent on the night.

When asked by Mr Thompson whether she understood why she was in court yesterday Camilleri replied: “Yes and no. I have a disability and it’s very hard for me to comprehend things and understand things”.

After having the process explained to her, Camilleri became tearful and said she consented to having her fingerprints taken and for police to use samples taken on the night.

“It happened on the night … there were so many things done on that night,” she said.

Camilleri will return to court at a later date.