Brother lied due to fear
TIAHLEIGH Palmer’s foster brother kept his family’s secret about her murder out of fear for his life, after his father allegedly claimed she was not the first person he killed.
Joshua Thorburn will serve three months of a 15-month sentence behind bars after he admitted he lied to police and the crime and corruption watchdog to cover up what really happened to the 12-yearold on October 29, 2015.
The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice in the Beenleigh District Court, where details emerged about the Thorburn family’s pact to keep secret her alleged murder at the hands of patriarch Rick Thorburn.
The court was told that Rick Thorburn called a family meeting the night Tiahleigh was allegedly killed and asked wife Julene, youngest son Trent, and Joshua not to bring their phones. Crown prosecutor David Nardone said that Rick Thorburn allegedly revealed 18-year-old Trent had sex with Tiahleigh, and they had to protect him, so “Tia was no longer with us”.
“He (Joshua) admitted that he understood this to mean that his father had killed Tiahleigh,” Mr Nardone said.
But in a statement to police the day Tiahleigh’s body was found on the banks of the Pimpama River on November 5, 2015, he claimed not to know what happened to the child and also feigned ignorance at a Crime and Corruption Commission hearing about six months later.
Mr Nardone said when the truth was revealed in September last year, he told police he was scared about what his father would do if he broke ranks.
“He told police that he was scared for his safety about what his father would do, but accepted that his father had not threatened him in any way,” the prosecutor said.
Defence barrister Jeff Hunter QC said that fear came from Rick Thorburn telling him it was not the first time he had killed. “Mr Thorburn senior told my client many years ago, prior to his birth and possibly in New Zealand, he killed a guard in some institution he was being housed at,” he said.
Mr Hunter said that no one knew if the story was true and there was no evidence Rick Thorburn directly threatened his son, but his client was “well and truly afraid of him”.
He said his client lied at a CCC hearing after being driven there by his father.
Rick Thorburn was last month committed to stand trial for murder, but has not entered a plea. His wife Julene is due to be sentenced this year on perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice charges.
Trent Thorburn is charged with incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.