John Chardon pleads not guilty to murdering wife Novy

Family members of missing woman Novy Chardon have told a court she was afraid of her husband John, who today pleaded not guilty to her murder.

John Chardon has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife Novy.

NOVY Chardon told family members she was afraid of her husband after his pistol went missing from their home, a court has been told.

Novy Chardon made the claims just a month before she disappeared in 2013, her mother and brother told the Brisbane Supreme Court.

John Chardon has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife in Upper Coomera on or about February 6, 2013.

Novy Chardon’s brother Yoshy Mansur told the court in January 2013 his sister told him she was concerned because John Chardon’s weapon was lost and “that can be a threat to Novy’s life”.

“Novy was very afraid because John told her that he lost his weapon and he accused other persons,” he said.

Mr Mansur gave evidence to the court via videolink from Indonesia and with the help of an interpreter.

Novy Chardon’s mother Estralita Aler also told the court Novy was afraid of Chardon after the gun went missing.

“She was afraid John would do something bad to her,” she said.

Novy Chardon, 34, was last seen in February 2013.

Ms Aler, also aided by an interpreter, was tearful when she told the court her daughter had cried the last time they spoke.

Ms Aler said her daughter and Chardon had a whirlwind romance, getting married less than a month after first meeting.

Earlier, Crown prosecutor Mark Green took the jury through the evidence which would be given to the court during the four-week trial.

Mr Green said Frederika Wong would give evidence that she had been to dinner with her friend Novy Chardon on the day of her alleged death.

He said Ms Wong would give evidence she visited the Chardon house the following day after she was unable to contact her friend.

“She will tell you that (John Chardon) complained about the house being messy and showed her Novy’s bedroom and showed her that he had cleaned the carpet,” Mr Green said.

John Chardon has pleaded not guilty to his wife Novy’s murder. Picture: AAP.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE BULLETIN: $5 A MONTH FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS

The jury was told Ms Wong would give evidence the carpet was wet and a carpet runner usually in the room was missing.

Mr Green told the jury they would hear from friends that the Chardons’ marriage had dissolved in 2012 but they remained living together.

He said friends would say Novy Chardon had been to see a solicitor about divorce proceedings.

The court was told on the day of her alleged murder, John Chardon received a letter from his wife’s solicitor about property settlement.

Divorce negotiations had begun months before, it is alleged.

Mr Green said Novy Chardon’s car was also missing but found, with the help of members of the public, in Nerang on February 8 – two days after her alleged murder.

CCTV cameras captured the car being moved.

Novy Chardon has been missing since November 2013.

Mr Green said a factory worker from John Chardon’s business would give evidence about being told to deliver a box to Chardon’s adult daughter.

He said the worker would say they had been told gun parts and handcuffs were in the box but they only saw something wrapped in plastic.

Mr Green said Chardon did not speak to police until February 22, 2013.

He said during that interview Chardon said on the night of her death Novy Chardon had come home and said she was going out.

Chardon told police he took a sleeping tablet and woke up to find things were gone, the court was told.

Mr Green described the trial as a “story”.

“This is an entirely circumstantial case, as I said, there will be parts of the story that are missing,” he said.

“The story will be compelling enough that you know what parts are missing.”

Chardon’s barrister Tony Kimmins, in his brief opening, described his client as “arrogant, self-centred, obnoxious, rude and sexist”.

Mr Kimmins said while he was not “Mr Personality”, Chardon was “not a murderer”.

He said by the end of the trial there would be a lot to dispute about the inferences which could be drawn from the facts.

The trial continues.