Accused wife killer Borce Ristevski to face trial next year
THE date for accused wife killer Borce Ristevski’s trial has been set after a hearing in the Supreme Court this morning.
Law & Order
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ACCUSED wife killer Borce Ristevski will face a jury in March next year with his trial expected to last up to 25 days.
Making his first Supreme Court appearance today Mr Ristevski, 54, sat impassively as the details of his upcoming trial were determined.
Police allege Mr Ristevski incapacitated his wife at their Avondale Heights home before driving in her car to Mt Macedon and dumping her body.
Today’s directions hearing lasted just minutes, with Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth setting a trial date of March 12.
The Crown has been given until November 9 to file its opening, with the defence response due by December 5 and a further directions hearing scheduled for December 12.
Due to the “large body of evidence” the court heard the trial would last and expected four to five weeks.
Last week Magistrate Sue Cameron ruled there was enough evidence to commit Mr Ristevski to stand trial for the murder of his wife, Karen, on June 29, 2016.
Ms Cameron dismissed defence barrister David Hallowes’s submissions that the lesser charge of manslaughter should apply.
“Given the nature, extent and duration of this, I’m of the view it would be open to a jury, properly instructed, to find that the accused caused the death of Karen Ristevski and at the time had murderous intent,” Ms Cameron said.
When Ms Cameron asked Mr Ristevski how he pleaded to the charge, he said: “Not guilty.”
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The decision to place Mr Ristevski on trial for murder followed an almost two-week hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court where dozens of witnesses gave evidence.
Prosecutors produced CCTV showing Mrs Ristevski’s black Mercedes travelling from Avondale Heights, through Diggers Rest, the day she disappeared and mobile phone records that showed both Mr and Mrs Ristevski’s phones “pinged” along the Calder Fwy before they were disconnected from the network; and searches made on an iPad in the family home in the days after about how to find and delete Google maps tracking history.
The prosecution also outlined the dire financial situation of the Ristevski’s Bella Bleu fashion store; and alleged inconsistencies in Mr Ristevski’s accounts of what happened.
Mr Ristevski’s daughter Sarah also took to the stand to defend her dad, telling the court how he was “always the calm one”.