Emil Petrov jailed for 26 years for brutal murder of estranged wife Cindy Crossthwaite

The father of a Melbourne mum, who was bashed, choked and shot to death, says he knew when he found her body — nearly 20 years ago — her estranged husband was responsible for her brutal murder.

The father of slain Melbourne mother Cindy Crossthwaite says he knew her estranged husband was responsible from the moment he found his daughter’s body nearly 20 years ago.

The 41-year-old mother of three was brutally bashed, choked and shot in the face in her Melton South home in June 2007, amid a bitter child custody and property dispute with her husband Emil “Bill” Petrov.

Petrov, 61, appeared in the Supreme Court on Wednesday where he was jailed for 26 years with a non-parole period of 20 years after he was found guilty of his wife’s murder.

Outside court, Phillip Crossthwaite, who found his daughter’s body after she failed to pick up her children from school, welcomed the sentence.

Melbourne mum Cindy Crossthwaite was murdered in 2007.

“It’s been a long time, it’s taken its toll, but eventually justice has been done. We can finally try and get on with our lives again,” he told reporters.

“It’s been so hard knowing he was guilty from the time I found the body until now. That’s been difficult, knowing that he’s been able to walk around, live a normal lifestyle, while I’ve been suffering.”

Emil Petrov has been jailed for 26 years. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

He also thanked police for their efforts in bringing his daughter’s killer to justice. The couple’s daughter Jesmine said her father would likely spend the rest of his life in jail but that would not make up for the harm he had caused.

“He’s in there for good now, for pretty much the rest of his life, but it’s still not enough. For the last 20 years nearly, we’ve suffered mentally ... the trauma and neglect that all of us suffered,” she said.

“He gets 20 years in jail ... but he also got to live 20 years ... as a free man.”

Phillip Crossthwaite leaves the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Picture: NewsWire/Ian Currie

Prosecutors had called for a life sentence but Justice Christopher Beale said it was possible Petrov had enlisted someone else to kill his wife, as witnesses had described seeing another man who did not look like him casing homes in the area on the morning of the murder.

“It is a reasonable possibility that you were not the perpetrator and did not agree to or foresee the infliction of the additional violence that was visited upon the deceased before she was shot in the head,” he said.

“I will sentence you on the basis that you were party to a joint criminal enterprise with an unknown perpetrator to murder the deceased, and that you participated in that joint criminal enterprise by providing the gun.”

Cindy Crossthwaite’s daughter Jesmine speaks with the media outside the Supreme Court. Picture: NewsWire/Ian Currie

The five-week trial heard the couple were locked in a family court battle over property and custody of their children at the time of Ms Crossthwaite’s death.

She had also made unproven allegations of sexual abuse against Petrov’s father, though no charges were ever laid and he has since died.

Crown prosecutor Mark Gibson KC said those issues provided a “powerful motive” for Petrov to kill his wife.

“There existed a deep-seated and enduring hatred that Bill Petrov harboured or had for Cindy Crossthwaite for what he believed that she had done to him over a period of time,” he said.

“We know that Bill Petrov stood to gain a lot by killing Cindy Crossthwaite. He stood to achieve vengeance for what he believed she had done to him and he stood to gain the opportunity to avoid assets being stripped from him.”

A drinking buddy of Petrov’s was crucial to the case. Picture: David Crosling

Crucial to the prosecution case was the evidence of Bill O’Shea, a drinking buddy of Petrov, who said he sourced a gun for his former friend about a year before Ms Crossthwaite’s death.

He also claimed Petrov showed him a wig, gloves and clothing in the boot of his car.

“I’m going to kill Cindy, will you help me? I’m going to kill the c--t,” Petrov said to Mr O’Shea about two months before the murder.

“How much he hated her and wanted to get rid of her. That was a common thing. It was a broken record,” Mr O’Shea said.

Mr O’Shea was charged alongside Petrov in 2019 but had his murder charge dropped after striking a deal with prosecutors to give evidence against his former friend.

With time served, Petrov, who was on bail during his trial, will be eligible for parole in 2044.

Originally published as Emil Petrov jailed for 26 years for brutal murder of estranged wife Cindy Crossthwaite