Brisbane, Australia – Skye Anne Wallis and Kari O’Brien appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court for a committal hearing after being charged with the murder of Senior Constable David Masters. The incident occurred on the Bruce Highway at Burpengary, north of Brisbane, when the officer was fatally struck by a suspected stolen car while setting up a tire deflation device in the early hours of June 26, 2021.
During the hearing, Magistrate Peter Saggers ordered Wallis to stand trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court on charges of murder, arson, and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. Wallis, 36 years old, allegedly was the driver of the car that hit Constable Masters, with O’Brien as the passenger. The Crown asserts that Wallis’s reckless driving actions led to the death of the officer, indicating a callous disregard for human life.
Conversely, O’Brien’s barrister, Christopher Wilson, planned to argue in court that his client, aged 27, had no case to answer due to insufficient evidence linking her to the murder. While Wallis was committed to stand trial following a closed court testimony, the proceedings for O’Brien’s defense were set to unfold on the premises of a lack of substantial proof.
The legal process also involved special measures for the protection of a witness, granted by Magistrate Saggers due to concerns raised by prosecutor Dejana Kovac regarding potential threats against the witness. As Wallis awaits her trial date, set by the Director of Public Prosecutions, she remains in custody, facing not only murder charges but also a separate allegation of weapons possession that will be addressed in subsequent court hearings.
The complex legal proceedings in the case of the two women accused of killing a police officer exemplify the intricate nature of the justice system and the meticulous examination required to ascertain accountability for such tragic events. The upcoming trial will serve to provide a clearer understanding of the events that unfolded that fateful day on the Bruce Highway, shedding light on the legal intricacies involved in seeking justice for Senior Constable David Masters.