Ashley Gaddie who murdered Danielle Finlay-Jones breached AVO in 2021 over another woman

A man who murdered a Sydney teacher’s aide after a Bumble date wrote an “insidious” message in the description of a bank transfer to another woman just days after a violent assault, a coronial inquest has been told.

Dannielle Finlay-Jones was found dead inside a friend’s home in Cranebrook in Sydney’s northwest, with the inquest hearing she died at the hands of Ashley Gaddie, 33, on the morning of December 18, 2022.

The pair, who had met on Bumble, had spent the previous night together after Ms Finlay-Jones brought the tradesman to a Christmas party with her friends – the first time her friends had met Gaddie.

She was found dead the next day in her friend’s spare bedroom and Gaddie had fled the scene.

Nearly four years later, the inquest was told on Thursday that Gaddie had previously breached an AVO against a separate women just days after violently assaulting her in 2021.

Five days after the assault, Gaddie transferred the woman, whom he was dating at the time, $500 and wrote a message to her in the description of the bank transfer.

Forensic psychologist Katie Seidler said the message was an example of the “insidious” nature of Gaddie’s offending.

“It’s also just showing I can make contact with you if I want to,” she said.

“It’s a personalised comment … and its psychological intimidation and manipulation.”

The court was told these acts may look almost innocuous but over time they accumulate.

“What this demonstrates is it doesn’t really matter what sanctions you place on the offender, this shows I will still find a way to get to you.”

The inquest earlier heard evidence of Gaddie’s shocking history of domestic violence, with previous convictions for domestic violence offences, as well as six AVOs taken out against him by five different women, between 2016 and 2022.

There is no credible evidence that anyone other than Gaddie had contact with Ms Finlay-Jones between when her friends last saw her and when she was found dead, the inquest was told.

Gaddie will never be held accountable for the act, as he was found dead in his jail cell where he had been held on remand after his arrest.