Paul Sultana’s trial begins after Dayna Isaac found dead in Penrith apartment

The trial has begun for man accused of killing a mother-of-two who was found dead in her western Sydney apartment with two cords wrapped around her neck and a broken nose.

Paul Sultana maintains a plea of not guilty to the murder charge.

The trial has begun for a man accused of murdering a mother-of-two who was found dead in her western Sydney apartment with two cords wrapped around her neck and a broken nose.

Paul Jason Sultana faced the Supreme Court for a trial on Monday from custody after pleading not guilty to murdering Dayna Isaac.

The 34-year-old was charged shortly after Ms Isaac’s body was found with horrific injuries at her Colless St, Penrith apartment in January 2023.

In the opening submissions Crown Prosecutor Yvette Prowse said the mother’s body was found with a broken nose, two cords wrapped around her neck and she had died from strangulation.

Ms Prowse said Sultana had made admissions to a witness that he had allegedly killed the 28-year-old and sexually penetrated her with his body.

Paul Sultana (right) was allegedly previously violent with former partners.

On the day of the murder a neighbour heard “screaming and banging” coming from Ms Isaac’s apartment before “it all went quiet”, Ms Prowse said.

The Crown argued Sultana brought his mother Janet Tsiliris to the deceased’s apartment shortly after the murder to allegedly help him carry the body out of the home.

Isaac was found dead in her apartment in 2023.

Ms Tsiliris left the apartment and reported the incident to police, and she has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

The Crown alleges Sultana then changed his appearance by cutting his hair and shaving his beard before sending a message to Ms Isaac’s phone which read: “You say you love me then go smash some other bloke,” the court heard.

He then messaged his family telling them he loved them and that he was going to be arrested, Ms Prowse said.

Sultana then allegedly set Ms Isaac’s Toyota RAV4 on fire in Castlereagh and drove home, where he burned several items in a barrel in his backyard, the court heard.

Outside the Supreme Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

The accused later told police he had gone on a bike ride in the bushland when Ms Isaac had been murdered, the Crown argued.

Ms Prowse said there was evidence from three of Sultana’s previous partners that he became physically violent with them when he felt like the relationship was ending.

Sultana’s King’s Counsel, the former District Court judge Gregory Woods said his client believes Ms Isaac was murdered by someone but it was not him.

He told his mother, Janet Tsiliris, there was “something bad,” before he brought her to Ms Isaac’s apartment and she had left because it would have been a “distressing” scene, Dr Woods said.

Dr Woods submitted Sultana’s actions following the murder were made out of “panic rather than guilt”.

“Getting his mother, burning items and washing his hands is consistent with a man who believed he may be blamed in these circumstances because he had previously been accused of bad behaviour from former girlfriends,” he said.

Dr Woods said when Ms Tsiliris reported the murder to police, she did not say anything about her son committing the murder.

“There was nobody present in the flat who saw him do it, so most of the evidence is circumstantial,” he said.

The case has been adjourned to Tuesday where it will proceed as a judge-alone trial and witnesses will be called to give evidence.

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