Two women have been charged with the murder of police officer Senior Constable David Masters, who was struck and killed while attempting to stop an allegedly stolen vehicle on Bruce Highway in June 2021.
Skye Anne Wallis and Kari O’Brien appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday for a committal hearing. Prosecutors allege that Wallis was driving the stolen car at speeds between 147-153 km/h when she struck and killed the 53-year-old police officer around 3am on June 27th, 2021.
O’Brien was allegedly a passenger in the stolen vehicle. The Crown will argue that the two women were engaged in evading police for hours before the incident, constituting felony murder.
Detective Sergeant Troy Weston testified that while Senior Constable Masters’ body camera was not activated, footage from another officer’s camera helped investigators calculate the vehicle’s speed at the time of the collision.
A witness, Leif Haas, recounted seeing “a hell of a lot of debris” as the vehicle struck Masters and sped away rapidly from the scene.
In addition to murder charges, Wallis and O’Brien face counts of arson and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. O’Brien’s lawyer indicated he would apply to dismiss her murder charge on Tuesday.
O’Brien was recently granted bail after three years in custody, while Wallis remains in jail. Senior Constable Masters, a father, and husband, had served with the Queensland mounted police before his death.
The committal hearing is expected to continue Tuesday. If committed to stand trial, Wallis and O’Brien could face life sentences if convicted of Masters’ murder.
Published 27-May-2024
