Snezana Stojanovska’s injuries shown to Coroner’s Court
POLICE are appealing for more information around a pregnant Preston woman’s “bizarre” death, with a Coroner’s Court told yesterday her injuries “didn’t fit” the story of a bench press accident.
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HOMICIDE investigators have made a fresh appeal for information on the bizarre 2010 death of Snezana Stojanovska in Preston.
An inquest is being run into Ms Stojanovska’s death when a 30kg barbell crushed her neck in a garage gym.
Police said emergency services were called to the pregnant woman’s William St home just after 11am on November 28.
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A family member had found the 26-year-old dead. The tragedy is being treated as suspicious.
On Tuesday, the Coroner’s Court heard that Dragi Stojanovski, the prime suspect in his pregnant wife’s murder, repeatedly asked paramedics to “help” and “do something” after claiming she died in a home gym bench press mishap.
Mr Stojanovski opted to stay outside the courtroom yesterday to avoid looking at graphic photos of his wife’s dead body during the coronial inquest.
But experts said his theory that Snezana Stojanovska died when a barbell fell on her chest during a workout was “extremely unlikely” and that she was strangled.
Mrs Stojanovska was wearing gardening gloves, pyjamas and a dressing gown when she was found dead at 11am in the garage gym lying on a makeshift bench press with a 30kg barbell across her neck on November 27, 2010.
Paramedic Cullen Hamilton was first on the scene with a colleague and he said three family members — now known to be Mrs Stojanovska’s husband, brother-in-law and mother-in-law — were in “disbelief” and just kept on asking if she could be brought back to life despite being told she was dead, with no heartbeat.
“He (Mr Stojanovski) was repeatedly asking us to do something,” he said.
“They were visibly upset and asking us to help and do something.”
Forensic pathologist Dr Malcolm Dodd said Mrs Stojanovska had bruises and abrasions to her jaw, neck, chin and under the earlobes and there was no evidence of fractures.
Dr Dodd determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation and neck compression with injuries fitting to someone who had been strangled.
“My view was the pattern of bruises ... did not fit at all with the story provided that this may have been entrapment by a barbell,” he said.
He said there were no signs of struggle or defensive injuries to wrists or arms.
A previous court hearing was told Mr Stojanovski found his wife dead and told police he said he needed the help of his ageing mother, Pisana, to help get the barbell off, which had unsecured 5kg weight on each end, while his brother Vasko called Triple 0.
In 2011, police had arrested all three but they were released without charge.
Sport scientist Harry Brennan, from the Victorian Institute of Sport, told Coroner Sara Hinchey given the 5kg discs on the barbell were unsecured, it was “extremely unlikely” the bench press would be able to land balanced across someone’s neck and remain there.
He said it only took millimetres for weights to fall off and make the barbell unbalanced.
Ms Stojanovska had just found out she was pregnant and tests have revealed Mr Stojanovski was the father of the child.
A previous hearing heard Mr Stojanovski’s mobile phone called a doctor’s clinic at 10.36am to cancel a pregnancy check-up appointment for his wife on the day she was found dead.
Emotions boiled over while medical evidence was being given, with one of the victim’s relatives abusing Mr Stojanovski while he sat in an interview room. A security guard was later put in court and families were put on notice.
Police have asked anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit the website, crimestoppersvic.com.au