Bellambi grandmother Patricia Goddard has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of slain teenager Louise O’Brien, whose body was found in a buried bin in February last year.
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The 73-year-old, dressed in a purple shirt, entered the plea around 10.30am this morning in the Supreme Court in Sydney.
Goddard had faced a murder charge over the teen’s death but the crown presented a fresh indictment this morning, downgrading the charge to manslaughter.
Goddard’s daughter and co-accused Tracey Taylor has maintained her innocence over the incident and is set to stand trial next year for allegedly being an accessory to Louise’s manslaughter.
The 46-year-old Taylor was released on bail today, after spending 18-months behind bars, and has been ordered to stay away from the Illawarra.
It is understood she will live at an undisclosed address in the Sydney area.
Goddard is set to reappear in court on December 7 for sentence.
Defence solicitor Mark Austin told the court Goddard had recently been diagnosed with dementia and tests were likely to be conducted to determine if she was affected by the condition at the time of the 2008 manslaughter.
Goddard is also set to give evidence in Taylor’s trial next year.
Taylor and a male co-accused, who cannot be named, will front court on November 2 to set a date for trial.
