Borce Ristevski Sentenced To Nine Years' Jail For Killing Wife

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Borce Ristevski, who killed his wife Karen before dumping her body in Victorian bushland and spinning a "web of lies" has been jailed for nine years for the high-profile manslaughter.

The 47-year-old victim was found covered in branches eight months after she went missing in 2016, with Ristevski lying to his bride's family and taking part at her funeral as a pallbearer, playing the part of an "innocent, grieving widower".

Ristevski killed his wife at their Avondale Heights home on June 29 before bundling her body into her Mercedes-Benz.

The 55-year-old drove to Macedon Regional Park, covering her body in branches, with her skeletal remains found between logs by horticulturalists eight months later.

An autopsy could not determine the cause of her death, and Ristevski has never provided a description of how his wife died.

He was charged with murder in December 2017 after a lengthy police investigation, involving listening devices and analysis of CCTV footage.

In March, Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Christopher Beale ruled that evidence available could not prove murderous intent.

Ristevski instead pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Ristevski was a pallbearer at his wife's funeral and lied to her family for years, with loved ones subsequently condemning his actions and untruths as "vicious" and "agonising".

But the couple's daughter, Sarah, has supported her father throughout the ordeal, providing a "glowing reference" for him in March at his pre-sentence plea hearing.

"Growing up as a family, my mum, dad and I were completely inseparable ... the love we had for each other was unexplainable," she wrote in a letter to the court.

"The circumstances have left me without both of my parents ... all I can do is try to communicate the truth of how good of a dad and husband he was to my mum and I."

Ristevski could have been jailed for up to 20 years for manslaughter.

18 April 2019




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