Hannah Quinn: From animal-loving education student to alleged murderer

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This was published 5 years ago

Hannah Quinn: From animal-loving education student to alleged murderer

By Sally Rawsthorne

Before last Friday's alleged fatal samurai sword attack in Forest Lodge in Sydney's inner west, Hannah Quinn seemingly had her life on track.

The product of a somewhat disjointed childhood spent between Sydney, Brisbane and Lismore, Ms Quinn had never been in trouble with the law before Sydney rapper Jett McKee's violent death allegedly at the hands of her boyfriend Blake Davis.

Hannah Quinn with mother Megan in Redfern on Friday.

Hannah Quinn with mother Megan in Redfern on Friday. Credit: Wolter Peeters

Ms Quinn is the eldest of three siblings, and her parents separated after she was born. Her father, Dean Hintz, remarried and moved to Hong Kong where he set up a cafe before returning to Queensland. Her mother Megan lay down roots in Sydney's inner west where she now lives.

Ms Quinn attended East Sydney High, a school for year 9 and 10 students who have struggled with mainstream education.

The accused murderer is now studying early childhood education at TAFE while working as a barista in a Manly cafe and enjoys "strong ties to the community" according to affidavits sworn by both her mother and father.

Hannah Quinn's parents and brothers were in court to support her this week.

Hannah Quinn's parents and brothers were in court to support her this week.Credit: AAP

Her former boss, from Suzy Spoon's Vegetarian Butcher, was in court along with her parents and brothers Domenic and Elliot this week, as a sobbing Ms Quinn was granted bail unopposed by the police prosecutor.

Flanked by her mother and brother, she emerged from Silverwater Correctional Centre wrapped in a blanket on Thursday night.

As well as her mother lodging a $60,000 surety and surrendering her passport, Ms Quinn must reside with her in Redfern, abide by a curfew, report daily to the police and not contact prosecution witnesses as conditions of her bail.

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It is understood that Ms Quinn has been advised not to speak to her boyfriend, who was refused bail at a brief hearing for his murder charge on Tuesday.

Hannah Quinn walks free from Silverwater on Thursday evening.

Hannah Quinn walks free from Silverwater on Thursday evening. Credit: AAP

Five years her senior, Mr Davis' professional acting page under his alias of Tommy Blake describes him as "confident, highly professional, polite person with excellent vocal skills".

The NIDA-trained actor's CV includes appearances on My Kitchen Rules, Housos and ad campaigns, although police facts show he also had a day job.

Pictures of the dilapidated home they shared show a courtyard filled with beer bottles, coffee cups and other rubbish, and unwashed dishes sitting in the sun.

Unlike his younger girlfriend, nobody showed up to Newtown Local Court on Tuesday to show support for Mr Blake in his brief hearing.

Police facts obtained by the Herald show that Mr Davis and his father Gulshin Ruprai are estranged, although Mr Davis rang his father to seek his advice on what the desperate young couple should do after they fled the scene of the daylight murder.

"I'm in trouble. Someone came to my address, held a gun to my head. We had a fight in the street. The police are looking for me," he told his father in a phone call.

Mr Ruprai advised him to go to the police station, as did his brother James when he visited the runaway couple at one of the several hotels they stayed at during the panicked weekend following Mr McKee's violent death. 

After Mr Davis allegedly hit the home invader over the head with the samurai sword, the couple quickly realised the gravity of their situation.

Hannah Quinn's boyfriend Blake Davis.

Hannah Quinn's boyfriend Blake Davis.

"What the f--- have you done?" Ms Quinn screamed at Mr Davis.

Police will allege that after Mr McKee staggered to the middle of the road and died, his alleged killers stole a car cover from a nearby garage to conceal what police will say is the murder weapon.

With blood on Mr Davis' face, the couple returned to their home. As police sirens wailed, the panicked couple jumped the back fence and hid in the laneway where investigators later found $21,800 cash, a pistol believed to be a pellet gun and nunchucks.

They also broke into a neighbour's home and hid from investigators, before making their way to a Petersham address where Ms Quinn cleaned the blood from Mr Davis' face and they changed clothes.

The home of Blake Davis and Hannah Quinn in Hereford Street Forest Lodge.

The home of Blake Davis and Hannah Quinn in Hereford Street Forest Lodge.Credit: Fairfax

The couple decamped to the Adina Hotel in the CBD, where they were captured on CCTV carrying large bags.

After spending only 35 minutes at the hotel, they moved on to Pennant Hills' Wardorf Hotel – paid for with Mr Davis' credit card.

The following day, they withdrew $1500 from nearby ATMs and moved to the Novotel Hotel at Baulkham Hills before handing themselves into Newtown Police Station on Monday.

Prosecuting Ms Quinn for the murder of Mr McKee – what her barrister Tom Hughes called a "weak" case – will now largely depend on whether police can prove the couple acted together to cause his death.

Ms Quinn was not the "the sword striker", Mr Hughes said this week, so there can be no suggestion of joint criminality.

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On Thursday, police also charged her with accessory after the fact of murder.

Police facts allege she assisted her boyfriend by concealing the weapon, aiding his escape from the crime scene, disposing of evidence and "unlawful items" at their shared home, breaking into a neighbour's home and moving locations to avoid detection and purchasing new clothing to conceal their identity.

The couple will return to court in October.

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