Murder victim Elia Abdelmessih’s loneliness, love for McDonald’s led to his death: court
A LONELY pensioner’s love of God, women and Big Macs led to his brutal bashing murder in Kew 12 years ago, a court has heard.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A LONELY man’s love of God, women and Big Macs led to his brutal murder, a court has heard.
Widower Elia Abdelmessih, 69, was bashed to death inside his Kew home on September 18, 2005.
Former McDonald’s employee Katia Soumaya Pyliotis, 36, today (Wednesday) went on trial in the Supreme Court over the horrific murder.
In opening the Crown case, prosecutor Andrew Tinney, SC described the Egyptian-born pensioner as a lonely man, who attended his local McDonald’s restaurant on High St, Kew up to three times a day, everyday.
Such was his love for the fast food outlet that he would be waiting at the door at 6am when it opened.
He would eat his breakfast before ducking off to church and returning when the menu changed to the lunch offering.
Mr Tinney said it was not unusual for him to come back later for a sundae.
It was one of the “high points of his life”, he said.
Staff described the regular as friendly, but noted his conversation would often slip into inappropriate areas.
He’d sing romantic songs to them, try to kiss their hands and ask the girls to marry him.
“He made them feel uncomfortable,” Mr Tinney said.
It was there he met the woman police claimed so savagely beat him to death with a statue of the Virgin Mary and a tin of mangoes.
He was then left face down in a bowl of liquid.
The accused killer’s DNA was found inside a discarded glove, in the bathroom, on a laundry tap and on the bloody statue.
Police initially investigated an intellectually disabled woman the victim had previously paid for sex, but she was quickly ruled out.
Ms Pyliotis’ barrister Christopher Dane, QC told the jury this person was the real killer, but had been cut loose due to the shoddy investigation.
“The issue of ridicule will be present over the 05, 06 investigation (by police),” he said.
Ms Pyliotis was only arrested in March last year after South Australia police did a routine DNA swab on her when she failed to pay her registration.
The jury heard police could not explain why Ms Pyliotis decided to pulverise to death the elderly Maccas lover.
She moved to South Australia a couple of months after the alleged murder where she took up a job with an animal welfare shop.
On the last day Mr Abdelmessih was seen alive he attended the McDonald’s restaurant at 6am like every other day.
CCTV showed he ordered his breakfast and sat down to eat it.
He spoke to a female staff member and began to sing to her.
The worker told him he was being inappropriate and told him to stop.
He did, but told her he’d be back later after he attended church.
It was the last time Mr Abdelmessih stepped foot in his beloved restaurant.
Witnesses claimed he attended church as expected and neighbours later noticed he had parked his car oddly outside his home.
Police found him bludgeoned to death inside the next day.
The trial before Justice Lex Lasry continues.