Tatiana Dokhotaru’s frantic last phone call to police before death in Liverpool unit

An “incomplete address” and “access issues” are listed as the reasons police didn’t immediately go to the home of a mother who was found dead 20 hours after she frantically called them.

• Fresh charges for dead woman’s husband

A mother found dead in her Sydney apartment had frantically called triple-0 during an argument with her estranged husband saying “he’s bashing me” 24 hours before her body was found.

Four separate witnesses have now come forward to tell police investigating the death of Tatiana “Tania” Dokhotaru how they had previously seen her concreter husband Danny Zayat allegedly attack her.

Premier Chris Minns said the response time of the police to Ms Dokhotaru’s triple-O call was “very concerning”.

NSW Police has launched a critical incident investigation into the initial “priority three” call on Friday night and Mr Minns has called for patience as the police investigate the “deeply traumatic and worrying incident”.

“I can understand the public is worried about obviously a traumatic incident but we need to make sure that the police have got a chance to do their inquiries so that we can announce what changes if any need to be made,” he said.

Danny Zayat, 28, right, appeared before Liverpool Local Court on Monday after police uncovered the body of his ex-partner Tatiana “Tania” Dokhotaru, left, on Saturday. Pictures: Supplied

Zayat, 28, was charged with domestic violence offences including stalking and contravening an apprehended violence order.

He appeared before Liverpool Local Court on Monday to be charged with more than a dozen more charges including domestic-violence-related choking without consent, assault occasioning bodily harm, and common assault but has not been charged over Ms Dokhotaru’s death.

A critical incident investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding Tatiana’s death. Police are pictured leaving the building with what appeared to be evidence in a bag. Picture: David Swift

The timeline to the tragedy has been laid out in a fact sheet prepared by police which shows Ms Dokhotaru, 34, asked Zayat to come to the flat in Norfolk St, Liverpool, she shared with their three-year-old son on Friday night.

It was two days before the little boy’s fourth birthday on Sunday.

Police will allege the couple argued and Zayat punched the television. At about 11.40pm Ms Dokhotaru dialled triple-0 and said: “He’s bashing me … my husband’s taking all the money from my house.”

Tatiana “Tania” Dokhotaru was found dead in her Liverpool apartment block on Saturday night by police.

Zayat later told police they fought because she had taken drugs and was intoxicated and that he left about midnight.

Police officers went to the towering apartment block more than three hours later after 3am but because of “an incomplete address” and “building access issues” did not locate Ms Dokhotaru’s apartment in the 297-unit block.

Danny Zayat, claims he argued with Ms Dokhotaru and returned to find her body. Picture: Instagram

About 8pm the following day, Saturday, Zayat told police he went back to the apartment after Dokhotaru failed to return his calls. Her body was inside the apartment.

A witness called triple-0 after hearing distressed cries of “help me”. At the same time Zayat called for an ambulance. Police arrived and arrested him.

His lawyer, high-profile barrister Talal Krayem, said it was a “tragic set of circumstances” and that Zayat would be making a bid for release on bail when he appears in court later in the week.

When police were first called to the unit block on Friday night following an anonymous report of a domestic disturbance, they were unable to locate the unit of concern. Picture: David Swift

News of the Liverpool mother’s death prompted an outpouring of grief from friends who remembered her as “the kindest soul”.

“Rest in peace. I feel sick to my stomach. I was deadset just talking about you the other day. My heart is broken. Best mum you were and the kindest soul,” friend Chloe Bohuslav said following the news of Ms Dokhotaru’s death.

“My heart is broken for you, my heart is broken for your son, my heart hurts. Rest in peace Tatiana Dokhotaru.”

Friend Amy Lee said: “Life is so precious and you didn’t deserve this beautiful. I hope you have peace, fly high beautiful.”

But others reacted furiously to the delayed response to her call for help.

“So you do the right thing. Take a DVO out against your abusive ex partner/fathers of your child. You call the police and say help me, I’m currently suffering domestic violence. They take 4 hours to get there. They can’t find which unit you’re in. They find your dead body the next day. I’m so disgusted. How many women will die from DV? Atrocious,” Instagram user called @_franksmum said.

As news broke on Sunday four other witnesses went to police to report other incidents involving Zayat including in which he allegedly pushed Dokhotaru down the stairs of their then home in March 2021.

Another is believed to have told police that in May 2021 they were celebrating Dokhotaru’s birthday at The Odyssey Restaurant in Leichhardt when they went outside and Zayat allegedly “punched the victim three times to the body and pushed her to the ground”.

In April 2023 Zayat allegedly dragged her by her hair and threatened to kill her in front of their son after going through her phone. He allegedly called her a “dirty slut” and said he “can’t wait until he kills me” so that his mother could raise their son.

Zayat has not been charged in relation to any of the conduct.

On May 1 he allegedly choked Dokhotaru so badly that she texted a friend afterwards that “my ex almost killed me yesterday” and wrote “my tonsils are bleeding”.

Police said the quantity of texts will lead to more charges. In one of them Dokhotaru wrote to a friend: “Babe I can’t do this anymore … I’m so scared like what do I do.”