Leona Rei-Paku shown body in bathtub months before police discovery, court told

Months before police discovered the remains of a woman in a bathtub, another woman was shown the body by the alleged killer, a jury has been told.

A man accused of murdering his girlfriend allegedly told another woman “it’s in the bath” months before police made the gruesome discovery, a jury has been told.

Prosecutors allege Sarah Gatt, 39, was murdered by her on-again, off-again boyfriend Andrew Baker in 2017 during a “violent altercation” at her Kensington home, in north west Melbourne.

Mr Baker has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of murder.

Her remains were discovered partially naked about eight months later, hidden under household items in the upstairs bathtub.

The 56-year-old is facing trial in Victoria’s Supreme Court, with his lawyer arguing there is no evidence he was responsible for the mother-of-two’s death.

Leona Rei-Paku told the court Ms Gatt felt “obligated” to care for Andrew Baker. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Giving evidence this week, Ms Gatt’s ex-girlfriend Leona Rei-Paku said her contact with the deceased woman stopped suddenly in April 2017 after Ms Gatt said she was moving back in with Mr Baker.

“She told me he was dying of bowel cancer,” She said.

“She felt obligated to him and he wasn’t going to live long. I told her to do whatever she felt was right.”

Ms Rei-Paku said she ran into Mr Baker at a homelessness resource centre some time later and was invited back to Ms Gatt’s home.

She said Mr Baker allegedly told her she’s “got” to see something he’d discovered in the upstairs bathroom, observing a “foot and an funny looking ankle” sticking out.

She told the jury she “didn’t know it was real” and questioned Mr Baker about the find.

“We thought it was you,” she claimed Mr Baker told her.

Andrew Baker has pleaded not guilty. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Prosecutors, led by Jeremy McWilliams, allege Ms Gatt had gone back and forward between the two relationships in the year before her death, describing both as “turbulent and, at times, violent”.

In his opening address to the jury, Mr McWilliams said the evidence would show Ms Gatt and Mr Baker’s relationship had “broken down again” in April 2017 and they were no longer living together.

He said Ms Rei-Paku was the last person to confirm seeing Ms Gatt alive on April 19, with her alleged murder falling between that evening and May 4.

“The accused was a man who was quite possessive and jealous of Ms Gatt but he was particularly troubled by Ms Gatt’s relationship with Rei-Paku,” Mr McWIlliams alleged.

“The love triangle was resolved by murdering Ms Gatt in her home.”

Ms Rei-Paku told the court she tried a number of times to see Ms Gatt in late 2016 and early 2017, but was told “she doesn’t want to see you” by Mr Baker.

“Every fortnight when I got paid I would buy a six pack and buy some drugs … and turn up at her home,” she said.

But Mr Baker’s barrister John Saunders said his client was not involved in Ms Gatt’s death.

Sarah Gatt’s body was allegedly left decomposing in her bathtub for eight months. Picture: Supplied.

He questioned how the jury could exclude the possibility Ms Rei-Paku was involved, or that she may have died from some “unknown misadventure”.

Ms Rei-Paku is not charged with any wrongdoing.

He told the court there was no direct evidence linking his client to her death and her autopsy had not found any injuries.

The trial, before Justice Jane Dixon, continues.

Originally published as Leona Rei-Paku shown body in bathtub months before police discovery, court told