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The foster mother of Tiahleigh Palmer has been sentenced to 18 months in jail over her role in the cover-up of the Logan schoolgirl's death in 2015.
Julene Thorburn, 55, pleaded guilty in the Beenleigh District Court to perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The court heard Thorburn lied about the 12-year-old's disappearance because she was "protecting her family and lifestyle, and because of the shame and embarrassment".
Tiahleigh's body was discovered on the banks of the Pimpama River on the Gold Coast on November 5, 2015.
The court today heard Thorburn led a cover-up to throw police off the scent, as they tried to investigate how Tiahleigh's body came to be found on a Gold Coast riverbank.
The grizzly discovery came days after the Thorburns found out that one of their teenage sons, Trent, had sex with the 12-year-old girl.
The court heard Julene and husband Rick, along with sons Trent and Joshua, held a family meeting where the boys were told "it's all been taken care of".
Prosecutor David Nardone told the court that Julene Thorburn instructed her sons to tell police they knew nothing about Tiahleigh's disappearance and to lie to Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission in 2016.
He said the lies were exposed after police bugged the Thorburn house and captured family discussions.
"She told the family we have to stick to the same story of her going to school the next day," Mr Nardone said.
Tiahleigh's foster father, Rick Thorburn, has been charged with murder and is awaiting trial.
Julene Thorburn will be eligible for parole in six months.
More to come.
Topics: courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, crime, brisbane-4000, qld, southport-4215, coomera-4209, australia
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