WARNING: Distressing details
A man who murdereda Sydney teacher after their third date had a shocking history of domestic violence, a coronial inquest has heard.
Dannielle Finlay-Jones was found dead inside a friend’s home in Cranebrook in Sydney’s northwest, with the inquest hearing she died at the hands of Ashley Gaddie, 33, on the morning of December 18, 2022.
It was their third date.
The pair, who had met on Bumble, had spent the previous night together after Ms Finlay-Jones brought the tradesman to a Christmas party with her friends – the first time her friends had met Gaddie.
After the event, in which Gaddie drank about 15 beers and took prescription Valium, the pair went back to a friend’s home where they stayed the night, the inquest was told.
During the night, her friend and her partner heard noises that they believed were being made during sex.
The following morning, her friends found Ms Finlay-Jones in the spare bedroom and performed CPR; however, she died.
Vile domestic violence history
The inquest on Monday heard evidence of Gaddie’s shocking history of domestic violence, with previous convictions of domestic violence offences, as well as six AVOs taken out against him by five different women, between 2016 and 2022.
In July 2021, Gaddie was arrested over the assault of a woman he had met on Facebook, and had been dating for one month, the inquest was told.
During the assault, police said Gaddie threw the woman to the floor, held her throat with both hands and ripped out clumps of her hair.
The woman managed to barricade herself and her daughter in another room where they called police.
Gaddie was convicted of five domestic violence offences including intentionally choke person without consent, damage property (DV), stalk or intimidate, common assault (DV), and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He has also been previously charged over assaulting and intimidating police officers.
At the time of Ms Finlay-Jones’ death, Gaddie was serving a two-year community corrections order for the domestic violence offences, and had two current AVO’s against him.
He was also on bail at the time over a June 2022 incident involving a separate woman.
“It was unknown to Danielle … she had no reason to think the man she met online and took to Christmas drinks was a man who posed a risk to her,” Ms Ward said.
The inquest was told that Gaddie’s pattern of his intimate partner violence points to the risk he posed to any woman who entered into a relationship with him, and that the offending was escalating over time.
There is also evidence to suggest that Gaddie would be among the 10-20 per cent of those who would be classified as “serial offenders”.
The inquest was also told that Gaddie had a history of cocaine and abuse, as well as anabolic steroids, as well as mental health concerns such an anxiety and depression.
Corrections officer, Kenneth Stevenson, took the stand on Monday and said prior expired AVOs related to other women were not included in sentencing assessment reports because they were not criminal convictions.
“Did you ask Gaddie if he was subjected to any other AVOs?” Counsel assisting asked.
“No” he replied.
Officer Stevenson added that Gaddie was “dismissive” of his offending, and that he was placed at a “low-risk” of reoffending in 2021.
Gaddie had fled the home
Police said Ms Finlay-Jones sustained heavy bruising to her face and a bloody nose, and post-mortem results indicated the 31-year-old was strangled.
Gaddie was later arrested for her murder following a 12-hour stand-off with police in the NSW Blue Mountains.
Gaddie was later found dead in his jail cell where he had been held on remand since his arrest.
The inquest was told while “some evidence” could be consistent with Gaddie finding Ms- Finlay Jones, rather than him hurting her, there was no credible evidence that anyone other than Gaddie had contact with her after her friends closed the door to the spare bedroom and when she was found deceased.
The inquest was told that at the time of her death, Ms Finlay-Jones had received a distinction in her graduate certificate in education and had accepted a full-time position as a special needs teacher’s aide.
“At the time of her death … Danielle was a young woman hitting her stride,” Donna Ward SC said.
Ms Finlay-Jones was a “remarkable” young woman who was deeply loved by her family, teammates and friends and was valued by her workmates and her community, Ms Ward said.
Meanwhile, over the weekend, the St George Football Association observed a moment’s silence at their senior matches for Ms Finlay-Jones, who was an avid soccer player, having received recognition of 25 years of service at Ramsgate RSL Football Club.
“Football St George extends our heartfelt condolences to Dannielle’s family, particularly her mother Jacky, who is also a life member of Football St George, her brother Blake, and all other affected members of the Football St George community,” the association said.
“We hope the inquest will provide answers and healing for the Finlay-Jones family and an opportunity to introduce reforms to make the world a safer place for women.”
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