JAILED OVER FORGED WILL

Dalby woman attempted to pervert justice

A DALBY woman who signed a forged last will and testament that was used in Supreme Court proceedings has been handed a jail term.

The 37-year-old woman pleaded guilty to forgery, uttering and attempting to pervert the court of justice by signing the will which a friend of hers then used in court proceedings to obtain control of the body of her deceased de facto partner against the deceased's mother.

The court ruled in favour of the de facto who had her partner cremated against the wishes of his mother. In sentencing the woman to 12 months in jail, Judge Dennis Lynch QC said her offending struck at the very heart of the justice system.

A DALBY woman has been handed a 12-month jail term after admitting to signing a forged will which was fraudulently used in Supreme Court proceedings.

The case stemmed from a tug of war over the body of former champion boxer Quinton Donahue between his mother Norma Donahue and his de facto partner Kylie Barsley.

Mr Donahue was stabbed to death during a fight at a Townsville house in 2016.

His mother had wanted her son buried in keeping with her Indigenous beliefs while Ms Barsley wanted him cremated, she being averse to burial, Toowoomba District Court heard.

A forged will claiming Mr Donahue expressed the desire to be cremated was produced which had been witnessed by Ms Barsley’s friend Nicole Jane Griffin who was living in Townsville at the time, the court heard.

After a Supreme Court hearing in which the “will” was produced as evidence, Ms Barsley was awarded control of Mr Donahue’s body which was subsequently cremated before the will was found to be fraudulent.

Griffin, 37, pleaded guilty to forgery, uttering and attempting to pervert the course of justice by signing the “will” and then swearing on oath she had done so as if knowing the will to be legitimate.

The court heard Griffin had been a heavy user of meth at the time and was grieving the loss of a sister and the breakdown of her 11-year marriage.

Judge Dennis Lynch QC said Griffin’s offending was very serious as it struck at the very heart of the justice system.

Judge Lynch sentenced her to 12 months in jail but ordered she be released immediately on parole.