Andrew Baker murder trial: Jury urged to find ‘insecure’ ex-boyfriend killed Melbourne mum Sarah Gatt

A man’s actions in the months after his on-again off-again partner disappeared “speaks overwhelmingly” to the conclusion he murdered her, a jury has been told.

Sarah Gatt was allegedly murdered by her on-again off-again boyfriend before being hidden under household items in the bathtub. Picture: Supplied

A woman was left to rot in a bathtub for months as her “intensely jealous” boyfriend allegedly told friends she was locked up in a psych ward, a jury has been told.

Andrew Baker, 56, is standing trial in the Victorian Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to the murder of his on-again off-again girlfriend Sarah Gatt in mid-2016.

The 39-year-old mother was last seen on April 19, but her death went unreported until police conducted a welfare check at her Kensington home in January the following year.

Police believe Sarah Gatt died sometime in late April or early May 2016. Picture: Supplied

Following three weeks of evidence, Crown prosecutor Jeremy McWilliams began delivering his closing address to the jury on Thursday, urging them to find Ms Gatt died a violent death at Mr Baker’s hands.

He told the court the couple’s on-again off-again relationship was “unhealthy and toxic”, with Mr Baker allegedly bitter and insecure about her relationship with another woman, Leona Rei-Paku.

“The overwhelming conclusion is that Andrew Baker held extremely intense feelings for Ms Gatt … those strong feelings manifested themselves in intense outbursts of jealousy, anger, possessiveness, emotional manipulation and indeed control,” he said.

“In his own words, Mr Baker ‘hated that Kiwi b---h’, she was ‘trying to turn his girl into a lesbian’, and ‘stole her away’ from him.”

Andrew Baker denies he is responsible for her death. Picture: NCA Newswire / Nicki Connolly

Prosecutors allege their relationship ended in early April with Ms Gatt intending to return to living with Ms Rei-Paku.

Mr McWilliams said the prosecution alleged Mr Baker’s conduct in the months after Ms Gatt’s death “speaks overwhelmingly” of his role in her alleged murder.

The accused man, the jury was told, had ceased phone contact and visiting her home “proximate” to the suspected death and began telling lies about her whereabouts.

Mr McWilliams said he claimed to associates that she was in rehab or a psychiatric facility and concocted a story about being told by a “curly-haired doctor” that she was in a padded cell.

“The only reason you would set about that course of conduct was to conceal the fact Ms Gatt was dead and to conceal his responsibility” he said.

“This was a killing; this was not an overdose or some drug-fuelled misadventure.”

Police found her remains on January 3, 2018, after conducting a welfare check. Picture: Nine News

In his opening address to the jury, Mr Baker’s barrister, John Saunders, said the evidence would show investigators were unable to identify a cause of death.

He questioned how the jury could be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Gatt died as a result of foul play or his client was involved.

“These are people who live on the outskirts of society, you need to be careful not to judge them on how they behave,” he said.

Justice Jane Dixon told the jury they would be directed to retire and reach a verdict early next week.

The trial continues.