A female physical education teacher who was granted bail after allegedly acting as a lookout for the gunman responsible for the fatal shooting of a Sydney tradesman has been returned to custody over an alleged plot to murder another person.
Ashleigh Ann Seeney, 28, was arrested on Tuesday evening, more than a week after two men were charged over an alleged plan to kill a member of an organised crime network.
Police allege the target is involved in an internal dispute within the criminal organisation.
Seeney, a teacher at Airds High School, has been charged with conspiracy to murder, participating in a criminal group and failing to disclose the identity of a driver or passenger.
Detective Superintendent Jason Box, commander of Taskforce Falcon, said the alleged murder plot was separate from the continuing conflict between the Alameddine organised crime network and its rival, the Coconut Cartel.
The new arrest came only days after Seeney was detained over her alleged involvement as a getaway driver for the “kill crew” accused of shooting dead Joshua MacDonald, 40, in what police believe may have been a mistaken gangland attack.
Mr MacDonald was shot while walking towards a home on Bruce Street in Merrylands West on the afternoon of September 2.
Seeney was initially charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder, participating in a criminal group and failing to comply with a digital evidence access order.
PE teacher Ashleigh Ann Seeney has been charged over an alleged conspiracy to murder a member of an organised crime network.
She was previously charged after allegedly acting as a lookout for a gunman who shot dead 40-year-old Joshua MacDonald in Merrylands on September 2.
Mr MacDonald was killed while walking towards a home on Bruce Street in Merrylands West.
She was granted conditional bail on Saturday and released from custody on Tuesday.
Hours later, however, she was arrested again at Wollongong Police Station over the new allegations.
The latest charges were considered by the Bail Division Court on Wednesday afternoon. Seeney’s barrister, Matthew Ward of Morris Law, argued that bail should remain in place because the new alleged offences were not directly connected to the earlier charges.
Mr Ward also argued against her detention, telling the court that NSW Police had “every opportunity” to charge Seeney while she was already in custody.
The judge ultimately revoked Seeney’s bail and ordered that she remain in custody.
Seeney was not required to appear on screen during Wednesday’s hearing. She was ordered to appear before Parramatta Local Court via audiovisual link on November 19.
The NSW Department of Education has stood her down from her teaching role.
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The development comes as NSW Police confirmed investigations by Strike Force Haleno are continuing.
Mr MacDonald was reportedly visiting a home whose occupants are allegedly “well known to police for organised crime activity”.
His grieving aunt and uncle, Darlene (pictured) and Trevor Norton, said their nephew died after leaping in front of his best friend Nick Brown and his two young daughters
They also said Mr MacDonald had no known links to organised crime and was not the intended target.
It is understood he was visiting a house where the occupants are allegedly ‘well known to police for organised crime activity’.
His grieving aunt and uncle, Darlene and Trevor Norton, told Seven News that their nephew died after leaping in front of his best friend Nick Brown and his two young daughters.
‘That’s Joshua all over. If he’d known those kids were in danger, [or if] anyone was in danger, he’d put himself in front [of them],’ Ms Norton said.
She shared a text message from Mr Brown praising his best friend and saying: ‘I am forever grateful for this beautiful soul. He is my children’s and my own guardian angel.’
When Ms Norton first heard the news of her nephew’s shooting, she said she refused to believe it was Mr MacDonald.
‘I thought it was another Joshua. And then I picked up my phone and just missed calls for the night,’ she said.
Ms Norton said her nephew was hardworking and kind-hearted, and recalled their final text exchange on his birthday, just days before the shooting.
A day before Mr MacDonald was killed, several offenders fatally shot Marco Tapia, 23, in his bedroom while his family were home
‘Happy birthday, Josh. Hope you have a wonderful day. Love you. See you on the 13th of September. Kiss, kiss, kiss,’ she wrote.
His reply read: ‘Thank you. Can’t wait.’
In a separate incident, a day before Mr MacDonald was killed, multiple offenders entered a two-storey home in Glen Alpine, near Campbelltown in south-west Sydney, and killed 23-year-old student Marco Tapia.
He was not known to police and only had a traffic offence on his record.
Two boys, aged 14 and 16, were arrested last week and charged with murder and participating in a criminal group.
– READ MORE: ‘I’m on the hit list in Sydney’s underworld war. This is what I do to stay alive – but getting shot dead is only a matter of time’: Gangland target’s life as a hunted man