Wife killer Borce Ristevski's web of lies aired by court
The string of lies told by wife killer Borce Ristevski have been made public for the first time in documents released by the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Ristevski, 55, sensationally pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of wife of 27 years, Karen, on Thursday last week.
He was initially charged with murder, but has now managed to avoid the charge partly because prosecutors could not establish exactly how the 47-year-old died.
Karen Ristevski, 27, died in June 2016. 9news
Today Supreme Court documents chronicling Ristevski’s multiple lies following his wife’s disappearance in 2016 were released.
He made up three different scenarios over a series of police interviews as he tried to evade responsibility for taking Mrs Ristevski’s life.
In the first scenario, he said he had argued with Mrs Ristevski about sale of their clothing store and she went upstairs to "cool off".
In the second set of circumstances put forward by Ristevski, he said his wife immediately left the house through the front door.
Ristevski outside court last week. AAP
In the third scenario, Ristevski said she went out through the garage.
Using CCTV evidence and phone taps, prosecutors came to the conclusion that Ristevski killed his wife between 8.30am and 10.40am on June 29, 2016. He then placed her body in her car boot, drove her Mercedes-Benz to Mount Macedon and dumped her remains.
Phone records show that he never called any family or friends to ask about his missing wife.
But he did warn an associate not to talk to police.
"Make sure you don't say anything. Don't tell them anything I spoke to you about. Nothing at all,” he told the associate.
Ristevski was a pall-bearer at his wife's funeral. Nine
As his daughter Sarah bravely stood by him, he pleaded with her not to trust the homicide detectives claiming, "They don't give a f--k."
Ristevski also asked another friend to buy him a new SIM card for his phone, well aware that he was the prime suspect.
When he was told by a reporter that Mrs Ristevski’s body had been found in a bush grave at Mount Macedon on February 20, 2017, he replied "well, it's got nothing to do with me."
The murder case against Ristevski fell apart on the eve of his trial last week when the Judge ruled that without knowing Mrs Ristevski’s cause of death.
Ristevski alongside daughter, Sarah, in 2016. AAP
Evidence of Ristevski's behaviour afterwards wasn't enough to prove murderous intent, allowing the 55 year old to plead guilty to manslaughter.
Justice Beale was also swayed by Ristevski’s lawyers' argument; that he would have feared killing his wife would have damaged the relationship he had with their daughter, Sarah.
Ristevski will face a plea hearing next week.
Death of Karen Ristevski: Timeline of events
June 29, 2016
Karen Ristevski last seen at her Melbourne home in Avondale Heights
Her mobile phone pings off a tower in the Macedon Ranges
A car similar to her black Mercedes SLK coupe spotted by CCTV cameras near Diggers Rest railway station
July 14, 2016
Husband Borce Ristevski and daughter Sarah make a tearful plea for information to help find their missing wife and mother
December 19, 2016
Police search grassland, waterways, creeks and farms
February 20, 2017
Karen Ristevski's body found at Mount Macedon Regional Park
March 6, 2017
Funeral service held with Borce Ristevski a pallbearer and daughter Sarah leading the procession
August 31, 2017
Police recreate the journey of Ms Ristevski on the day she went missing in a black Mercedes, identical to hers
December 13, 2017
Borce Ristevski charged with murder and faces court where a lawyer indicates a not-guilty plea and he is remanded in custody
April 18, 2018
Ristevski returns to court where it's revealed detectives tapped phone calls and planted listening devices as they investigated the alleged killing, compiling a 22,000-page evidence brief
Ristevski is granted state-funded legal aid as he fights the allegations
July 16, 2018
Ristevski's two-week committal hearing begins and later hears evidence from his daughter Sarah who said he was never "aggressive" towards her mum.
August 2, 2018
Ristevski ordered to stand trial in the Supreme Court charged with murdering his wife
December 4, 2018
A five-week trial for Ristevski is set for March 2019
March 13, 2019
A day before a jury is due to be empanelled for his murder trial, Borce Ristevski pleads guilty to manslaughter after prosecutors withdraw the murder charge.
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