'Donnie' murder inquiry: woman who lied to police, hid evidence sentenced

But Sarah Jane Stackman walked from Cessnock courthouse on Wednesday afternoon; on bail while she is assessed as to whether she can do her time in home detention rather than a prison cell.

Magistrate Ian Rodgers said Stackman, 34, appeared to have been acting partly out of "ongoing loyalty" to Jarryd Nickerson - a man with whom she had an on-and-off-again relationship and one of three people who have been charged with murdering Zachery Davies-Scott at Heddon Greta on the night of December 27, 2022.

Mr Nickerson, Talon Dean and Gino Ricardo Delpiero have been charged with killing the 25-year-old father, known around town as 'Donnie', after they allegedly forced their way into his Traders Way home.

They remain behind bars while their charges are before the court.

Cessnock Local Court heard on Wednesday Stackman told repeated lies to investigators, moved Mr Nickerson's clothing, instructed others to help remove clues that he had been at her house, and deleted possible evidence from her phone between June 2023 and January 2024 - when she was arrested.

The court heard she drove Mr Nickerson to Salamander Bay on one occasion - knowing he was a person of interest and that police were looking for him - and told another person to warn him off coming to her home while detectives were there.

Stackman initially pleaded not guilty in Kurri Kurri Local Court in January, but changed her plea to guilty in March.

Magistrate Rodgers said Stackman's actions were not examples of thoughtless or spur-of-the-moment lies to police, but involved forethought and constituted "actual real hindering of the investigation of a murder".

"This is an incredibly serious example of this offence," he said.

"This was over many months, and involving multiple acts."

Stackman will face court again on July 17, when Magistrate Rodgers will make a decision as to how her sentence will be served.