ThatsLife
  • WIN
  • News
  • Real Life
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Pets
  • Your Stars
  • Puzzles
  • Podcasts
  • Video
ThatsLife
  • WIN
  • News
  • Real Life
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Pets
  • Your Stars
  • Puzzles
  • Podcasts
  • Video
Subscribe
  1. Home
  2. Real Life

Woman pleads guilty to killing friend’s grandfather

Her admission came as a surprise. - by Eliza Murray
  • 08 Aug 2017
Woman pleads guilty to killing friend’s grandfather
7 News

A woman who was facing court charged with the murder of her friend’s grandfather in his Adelaide home has confessed to the crime.

The Advertiser on Twitter

Bernadette Burns, 22, was on trial for helping her friend, Brittney Jade Dwyer, 20, rob Dwyer’s grandfather’s house in Craigmore, SA, which resulted in an attack that caused the death of 81-year-old Robert Whitwell.

Lauren Barker on Twitter

Dwyer allegedly enlisted the help of two friends, Burns and Shelby Holmes, to enter her grandfather’s home and rob him of a pile of money they believed him to have kept in his shed.

Rebecca Opie on Twitter

Burns pleaded guilty to committing an intentional act of violence while undertaking the robbery, which carries a minimum sentence of 20 years without parole.

Controversially, the victim’s granddaughter, Dwyer, confessed to murder before claiming at the last minute that the victim may have sexually abused her as a child.

Prosecutor Kim Pearce said the the ‘one minute to midnight’ defense to likely be ‘simply an invention designed to give her an explanation for why she acted as she did.’

Nine News Adelaide on Twitter

Dwyer’s lawyer, Craig Caldicott, said that since his client was unsure if her ‘flashbacks’ of abuse were real or not, it would not be part of her defence.

Dwyer’s father, and son of the victim, described his dad as a ‘great man, who loved his family.’

7 News Adelaide on Twitter

This article first published on New Idea.

Subscribe to That's Life!-+ save!

Subscribe to That's Life!

Subscribe Now
Subscribe to That's Life!

Subscribe to That's Life!-+ save!

Subscribe to That's Life!

Subscribe Now
Subscribe to That's Life!

Recommended to you

There's A Better, Faster Way To Predict Sepsis
Watch 0:37

There's A Better, Faster Way To Predict Sepsis

{headline}

{headline}

Hero Mum: Two Minutes To Save Our Lives!

Hero Mum: Two Minutes To Save Our Lives!

Pint sized cowboy

Brave Byron: The Littlest Buckeroo

I Was A Human Fireball!

I Was A Human Fireball!

I'm An Eco Mum

I'm An Eco Mum

{headline}

{headline}

I've Made $40,000 Selling Trash

I've Made $40,000 Selling Trash

Ruby's Legacy

Ruby's Legacy

Can You Believe We're Twins!

Can You Believe We're Twins!

{headline}

{headline}

Meet Rave Granny

Meet Rave Granny

There Was A Snake In Our Bed!

There Was A Snake In Our Bed!

I'm a Waste Warrior

I'm a Waste Warrior

Truckies Saved My Boy's Birthday

Truckies Saved My Boy's Birthday

Hedley Thomas: I pursued a killer

Hedley Thomas: I pursued a killer

I Found My True Self, Then True Love

I Found My True Self, Then True Love

Meet Bianca The Ballet Busker

Meet Bianca The Ballet Busker

ThatsLife
  • Gold Club
  • Online Entry FAQ
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Competitions
  • Privacy Policy
ThatsLife Magazine Subscribe
  • Gold Club
  • Online Entry FAQ
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Competitions
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • New Idea
  • Who
  • Girlfriend
  • Practical Parenting

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • marie claire
  • Beauty Crew
  • Women's Weekly Food
  • Bounty Parents
  • Home Beautiful
  • Hard to Find
  • Australian Women's Weekly
© 2023 Are Media PTY LTD
All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Are Media and its brands may have generated text partially using generative AI. Upon generating draft language, our editors review, edit, and revise it to their own liking. We take ultimate responsibility for the content of our publications.
Get more from

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe to That's Life!-+ save!

Shop This Offer
Subscribe to That's Life!