A woman who was cleared of murdering Perth teenager Cassius Turvey has avoided being sent to prison despite breaching her suspended sentence by driving without a licence.

Aleesha Gilmore appeared in the Supreme Court via video link from a secure location on Monday, facing a potential jail term for the breach. The court heard that her driving offence threatened the conditional suspended imprisonment order she received last year.

The Background and Prior Convictions

In June 2025, Gilmore was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for two years with strict community conditions. While she was acquitted of the murder of 15-year-old Cassius Turvey—who tragically died in hospital ten days after being beaten with a metal pole in October 2022—she was convicted of assaulting a teenager and unlawfully detaining two others in the days leading up to the attack.

The court was told that Gilmore’s recent legal troubles began in December 2025 when police caught her driving under the influence of alcohol. A blood test revealed her blood alcohol content was 0.098, well over the legal limit. She was fined and disqualified from driving for seven months, but was subsequently caught driving without a licence in June, earning an additional nine-month disqualification.

A Focus on Rehabilitation

State prosecutor Benjamin Stanwix told the court that while driving without a licence constituted a breach of her suspended sentence, the state was not seeking immediate imprisonment. He argued that jailing Gilmore would disrupt her ongoing rehabilitation efforts.

Mr. Stanwix emphasized that the state did not take this stance lightly, noting he did not want Gilmore to perceive the justice system as "a soft touch."

Gilmore's defence lawyer, Simon Freitag, argued that his client had otherwise been fully compliant with her suspended sentence conditions, including attending regular counselling and participating in required rehabilitation programs. Mr. Freitag also highlighted the practical difficulties Gilmore has faced, noting she lost a cleaning job after a police check was requested and is now actively seeking fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) employment.

A Warning to Stay on the "Straight and Narrow"

Chief Justice Peter Quinlan ruled that sending Gilmore to prison would be unjust, given she is already halfway through her suspended sentence and is complying with its core terms. However, he warned her that she must stay on the "straight and narrow."

Acknowledging the public scrutiny surrounding her, Chief Justice Quinlan told Gilmore that while she was not responsible for Cassius Turvey's death, her connection to the high-profile case would likely follow her for life.

"I appreciate given your notoriety it makes it more difficult for you to obtain work," Chief Justice Quinlan said. "But that's not a reason to give up."

Ultimately, Gilmore was ordered to pay a $500 fine for the breach, which will be added to her existing $1,000 fine for the unlicensed driving offence.