THE BLACK KIDDO
Brittney was distraught after grandpa’s death — but she was the killer
THE brothers of murder victim Robert Whitwell embraced his crying granddaughter in the days after his death — only to discover they had been comforting his killer.
Brittney Jade Dwyer, 19, of Ormeau, admitted murdering her “loving” grandfather in his unit at Craigmore, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
THE brothers of murder victim Robert Whitwell embraced his crying granddaughter in the days after his death – only to discover they had been comforting his killer.
Brittney Jade Dwyer, 19, from Ormeau on the Gold Coast, has admitted murdering her “loving” grandfather in his unit at Craigmore, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
Yesterday, she had to listen as her family outlined their devastation and despair in victim impact statements read out in the Supreme Court by prosecutor Jim Pearce QC.
In his statement, Mr Whitwell’s brother Geoffrey Whitwell said he was devastated by his brother’s murder and missed him dearly.
“Bob and I were very close,” he wrote. “We always came together for Christmas and Bob’s birthday was special because it was on the same day as my wife’s (birthday).”
Mr Whitwell said Dwyer, her mother Tonya Dwyer and brother all flew to Adelaide from Queensland after the murder.
“We welcomed you into our home, embraced you and comforted you, all the while you wept with your fake tears and made comments like ‘my poor poppa’,” he said. “I now know that I had been embracing and comforting my brother’s killer. You are a master of deception, I will give you that.
“I will never forgive you. You’re a cruel, deceitful person with no regard for human life – I believe you are truly dangerous and evil and deserve the highest penalty.”
Mr Whitwell’s other brother, Peter Whitwell, also spoke of inviting Dwyer into the family home and comforting her in the days after his death.
“We were just coming to terms with his death when we found out it was his own granddaughter who was responsible,” he said.
Tonya Dwyer – whose daughter killed her father – wrote she had been a happy wife, mother and daughter until everything changed on May 2 last year.
“(Now) I feel like I’m drowning in life,” she said.
In her statement, Ms Dwyer spoke of Dwyer’s friend, Shelby Lee Angie Holmes, who helped “scope” Mr Whitwell in his Craigmore home for several days before they would rob him of $30,000.
Holmes, also 19, has pleaded guilty to the home invasion.
She described Holmes’ involvement as “unbelievable” given she did nothing to stop the murder from taking place.
Dwyer’s father, Garry Dwyer, described his former father-in-law as a “great man, who loved his family”.
He asked the court to impose an “appropriate” jail term on his daughter.
Dwyer pleaded guilty to the murder and in February admitted to a further charge of aggravated serious criminal trespass. She will be sentenced at a later date.
Another murder co-accused, Bernadette Burns, 21, has pleaded not guilty to the killing and has been ordered to stand trial in August.