Borce Ristevski has arrived at court to be sentenced for killing his wife Karen
Borce Ristevski has arrived at court to be sentenced for killing his wife Karen.
Ristevski killed his wife Ken ,47, on June 29, 2016 at their Avondale Heights home 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.
He feigned innocence for three years until making an unexpected guilty plea to her manslaughter last month.
In court today, the 55-year-old will be likely supported by his 24-year-old daughter Sarah, who provided the court with a compelling character reference.
The sentence will be delivered by Justice Christopher Beale in the Supreme Court of Victoria at 10.30am.
Ristevski pleaded guilty to manslaughter and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars.
The unexpected admission came on the eve of his five-week scheduled murder trial in mid-March – after vehemently denying involvement in Karen’s death for almost three years.
Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale ruled that Ristevski’s actions after the killing, when he played the role of grieving husband, could not be used to prove ‘murderous intent’.
A new indictment with the lesser charge of manslaughter was subsequently filed and Ristevski pleaded guilty.
Following the admission, Sarah gave her father a glowing character reference during a pre-sentence plea hearing at the Supreme Court of Victoria.
‘If I could use a few words to describe my dad’s personality they would be loving, caring, sympathetic, protective and charismatic,’ Sarah said in the character reference that goes on for more than one page.
Wife killer Borce Ristevski is led from a prison van into court as the father-of-two prepares to learn his fate after shock guilty plea
Borce Ristevski (centre) will learn his fate on Thursday after entering a shock guilty plea last month to reveal he killed his wife Karen (left)
The sentence will be delivered by Justice Christopher Beale in the Supreme Court of Victoria at 10.30am on Thursday morning
‘Growing up as a family my mum, dad and I were completely inseparable.
‘We would spend all of our spare time together and family was everything to us. The love we had for each other was unexplainable, and everyone in our lives saw it.’
Sarah said she had never witnessed her father act violently towards her mother.
‘My dad has not had any prior convictions or issues with the law, and I can confidently say that in my 23 years and I have never witnessed any form of violence between my mum and dad,’ she said.
Dress shop-owner Karen disappeared from the family home in Avondale Heights, north-west Melbourne, on June 29 2016.
Eight months later her skeletal remains were found dumped between logs in Macedon Regional Park.
Ristevski was charged in December 2017 following a lengthy investigation.
Ristevski (pictured carrying wife’s coffin) pleaded guilty to manslaughter and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars
After his wife’s death, Ristevski shoved her body in the back of her Mercedes Benz, before dumping her in the regional park and covering her with foliage.
Justice Beale will be forced to consider the fact that Ristevski has not revealed how or why he killed his wife of 27 years.
Other aggravating factors likely to be considered include the disposing of the body and lying about the criminal offence, the Herald Sun reported.
At last month’s pre-sentencing hearing, defence counsel David Hallowes SC said the vague details around the killing of his wife should be considered in the ‘mid-range’ of the offence of manslaughter.
But prosecutor Brendan Kissane QC argued the crime sat at the higher end and labelled it an example of domestic violence.
‘He (Ristevski) has failed to reveal what went on in the house. The fact he hasn’t given an explanation doesn’t suddenly mean his offence ends up in the middle.’
TIMELINE OF KAREN RISTEVSKI’S DEATH AND BRINGING HER KILLER BORCE TO JUSTICE
Karen Ristevski with her daughter Sarah
June 29, 2016
Karen Ristevski last seen at her Melbourne home in Avondale Heights
Her mobile phone pings off a tower in the Macedon Ranges
A car similar to her black Mercedes SLK coupe is spotted by CCTV cameras near Diggers Rest railway station
July 14, 2016
Husband Borce Ristevski and daughter Sarah make a tearful plea for information to help find their missing wife and mother
December 19, 2016
Police search grassland, waterways, creeks and farms
February 20, 2017
Karen Ristevski’s body is found at the Mount Macedon Regional Park
March 6, 2017
Funeral service held with Borce Ristevski a pallbearer and daughter Sarah leading the procession
August 31, 2017
Police recreate the journey of Ms Ristevski on the day she went missing in a black Mercedes, identical to hers
December 13, 2017
Borce Ristevski is charged with murder and faces court where a lawyer indicates a not-guilty plea. He is remanded in custody
April 18, 2018
Ristevski returns to court where it’s revealed detectives tapped his phone calls and planted listening devices as they investigated the alleged killing, compiling a 22,000-page evidence brief
Ristevski is granted state-funded legal aid as he fights the allegations
July 16, 2018
Ristevski’s two-week committal hearing begins and later hears evidence from his daughter Sarah who said he was never ‘aggressive’ towards her mum.
August 2, 2018
Ristevski is ordered to stand trial in the Supreme Court, charged with murdering his wife
December 4, 2018
A five-week trial for Ristevski is set for March 2019
March 13, 2019
A day before a jury is due to be empanelled for his murder trial, prosecutors withdraw the murder charge after a judge’s ruling.
Borce Ristevski pleads guilty to the alternative charge of manslaughter