Greystanes: Isaac Costa faces court for 2023 murder of Anastasia Slastion
A man who murdered his girlfriend in a ‘frenzied attack’ made an unorthodox address to the court in which both their families sat as he was led away in handcuffs.
A western Sydney man who murdered his girlfriend in a “frenzied assault” has had his sentence delayed a week, after the families of both the victim and her killer attended court.
Isaac Costa pleaded guilty in May this year to killing his girlfriend Anastasia Slastion, and on Friday appeared in person for his sentencing at Supreme Court in Darlinghurst.
Justice Stephen Campbell delayed the sentence to December 19 to “take some time to consider the appropriate sentence”.
As Costa was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs, he turned to the public gallery containing his and Ms Slastion’s families and said “I’m sorry” before lowering his head.
They were the only words Costa spoke during one and a half hours of arguments over his brutal, drunken killing of Ms Slastion on February 26, 2023.
The pair had known each other for just six weeks and had been drinking together at the Greystanes hotel in the hours immediately preceding the crime.
On the way home in a ride share, Ms Slastion reportedly threatened to break up with Costa and told him to “f —k off”.
Crown Prosecutor Nicholas Marney said this “rejection by someone he had become infatuated with” resulted in a frenzied attack in Costa’s Brighton St granny flat which killed Ms Slastion, left her bleeding from her eyes and resulted in her lower teeth going through her upper lip.
“In the offender’s own words, ‘I killed her, I bashed her to death’,” Mr Marney said.
“An offence committed with a sudden loss of control is in many ways no less serious than one that is planned with a cool head.”
Ms Slastion had moved to Australia from Russia without friends or family in the country.
The woman in her 30s was one of at least 58 killed in domestic violence-related murders in 2023.
Costa swayed in the dock with his shoulders hunched forward during the Crown’s arguments, briefly closing his eyes and shaking his head when the Crown prosecutor detailed Ms Slastion’s extensive injuries.
The man’s parents appeared in court and submitted character references for their son.
Members of Ms Slastion’s extended family also appeared in the court, her mother Tatiana Slastion called in through a video link from Russia and submitted a victim impact statement.
Mr Marney said the statement detailed the “turmoil of someone finding out that her daughter has died on the other side of the world”.
“A loss of control by a man because he has been rejected leading to the death of his partner is entirely inexcusable and is requiring a significant punishment,” he said.
Texts from Costa to Ms Slastion leading up to the incident were read to the court, telling her “good luck enjoy s —t company that doesn’t care about you.”
“You’re a disgrace. Even bitches don’t act like that,” the texts read.
Barrister John Stratton argued Costa’s actions constituted “a completely out of character isolated incident which had fatal consequences”.
Mr Stratton said Costa attempted to revive the deceased and said “I’m sorry”.
After the murder, a man attended the granny flat and was told Costa “didn’t mean to hit her”.
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Originally published as Greystanes: Isaac Costa faces court for 2023 murder of Anastasia Slastion
