Borce Ristevski’s daughter has told detectives the accused killer retreated to his garage to smoke shisha after revealing his wife Karen was missing, because ‘he doesn’t like to see me cry’.
The 54-year-old father allegedly murdered his fashion boutique owner wife Karen in 2016 at the family’s Avondale Heights home in Melbourne’s north-west before dumping her body in bushland.
According to Sarah Ristevski’s police statement, released during a hearing to determine whether her father will stand trial for murder, Mr Ristevski was watching television when she arrived to the home at about 6.30pm on June 29 that year.
‘I asked dad where mum was. Dad looked at me and just put his hand up as if to say he didn’t know,’ she said in the statement, the Herald Sun reported.
When she asked her father what had happened, Mr Ristevski responded: ‘You know what she gets like when she gets on to one thing and then on to another and continues it,’ according to her statement.
Borce Ristevski’s (centre) daughter Sarah (right) has told detectives the accused killer retreated to his garage to smoke shisha when he revealed her mother Karen (left) was missing
Sarah, 23, (pictured with her father) told police in a statement Borce ‘doesn’t like to see me cry’
‘Dad could see that I was getting distressed which was making him get more anxious because he doesn’t like to see me cry. Dad told me he was going to go and smoke some shisha in the garage,’ she said.
The 23-year-old said her father stayed in the garage ‘for a while’ as she remained in the house in tears. She said he later returned, hugged her and said: ‘It was going to be OK.’
The accused has told police Karen, 47, went for a walk to clear her mind and never returned, but detectives allege he lied to avoid detection.
The mother was missing for eight months before her remains were found at Macedon Regional Park by two horticulturists in February 2017.
It’s alleged Borce took his wife’s black Mercedes-Benz roadster to dispose of her body, killing the signal on his phone along the way.
A woman alleges she saw a black Mercedes sports car in the Mount Macedon area about the time of Karen’s disappearance.
Sarah previously said her father was a calming influence on her mother Karen Ristevski and appeared ‘very worried’ when she went missing
It’s alleged Borce took his wife’s black Mercedes-Benz roadster (pictured) to dispose of her body, killing the signal on his phone along the way
Rosemary Davies was on her way to her regular cafe the Trading Post when she alleges she saw the ‘sporty’ car stopped at an intersection on Salisbury Road.
‘It had no indicator on. It almost hesitated,’ she told Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Rosemary Davies (pictured) said she saw a ‘sporty’ car stopped at an intersection on Salisbury Road
‘I’m thinking to myself, I wonder if they know where they’re going. Nothing comes along there.’
Ms Davies, who said she’s known for her ‘very good memory’, called Crime Stoppers in mid-2017 after reading a story about the case in the local paper.
She was giving evidence at a committal hearing for Borce Ristevski, to determine whether there’s enough evidence to send him to trial for Karen’s murder.
One of Karen’s former fashion store employees also testified on Wednesday, saying her manager spoke positively about her husband.
Bella Bleu employee Diana Nastoska, a young student, said Karen was a kind manager and the Ristevskis were an ‘ordinary family’.
When asked by Borce’s lawyer Sam Norton if Karen spoke about her husband as caring and supportive, Ms Natovska nodded and said: ‘yes’.
The Ristevskis were in dire financial straits at the time of the murder and would sometimes argue about money and business, the court has been told
Bella Bleu employee Diana Nastoska (pictured) said Karen was a kind manager and the Ristevskis were an ‘ordinary family’
‘And she even commented that she was lucky to have him?’ Mr Norton continued.
‘Yes,’ Ms Natovska replied.
The young woman was working at Bella Bleu the day Karen went missing.
So when the always-punctual Karen didn’t arrive to take over the store that afternoon she spoke to Borce about it.
‘And he seemed surprised when you told him she wasn’t there?’ Mr Norton asked.
‘Yes. He assumed she was already there. He wasn’t sure what was going on,’ Ms Natovska replied.
Meanwhile, Sarah broke down in tears in court on Tuesday as she recalled the happy life she had before her mother went missing.
‘I didn’t grow up in a household where there were a lot of arguments,’ Sarah told Melbourne Magistrates Court.
‘Mum would get annoyed. She had the same personality as me. And dad was always the calm one. He would calm us down.’
A local spotted a black Mercedes just like one owned by Karen Ristevski (pictured) around the time she went missing in June 2016
Sarah Ristevski (pictured right) is seen leaving court on Tuesday after giving evidence
When asked about the nature of her parents’ arguments, Sarah used an example of her dad being unable to resist a bargain at the supermarket.
He would go out and buy milk and return with biscuits as well.
‘Dad would say ‘well the Shapes are only a dollar each’ and mum would say ‘but now I’m going to eat them and my thighs will get fat’,’ Sarah said.
‘That would be an argument for me.’
As Sarah sat in the witness box her father Borce sat in the dock wearing a charcoal suit over a white shirt. He appeared focused.
She said her father was distressed after Karen’s disappearance.
‘He was extremely worried,’ she said of Borce. He was very concerned about where my mum was.’
Sarah Ristevski celebrated her 21st birthday about a month before her mum vanished from the family’s Avondale Heights home in June 2016
Borce, who was charged in December, is fighting the murder allegations.
Police claim he lied about his movements on the day of his wife’s disappearance.
Borce originally told police he stayed at home doing bookkeeping on the day his wife vanished, but later changed his statement, saying he went for a drive in her car.
‘The accused deliberately excluded and withheld information and fabricated certain facts to distance himself from the crime,’ Mr Fisher has told the court.
Detectives later used CCTV footage, telecommunications data and fuel consumption analysis to form their view that Borce killed his wife, dumped her body and returned home.
Karen’s cause of death could not be established by an autopsy.
Karen was missing for eight months before her remains were found at Macedon Regional Park by two horticulturists in February 2017
Borce Ristevski (centre left), husband of Karen Ristevski, attending the funeral of his wife Karen
The Ristevskis were in dire financial straits at the time of the murder and would sometimes argue about money and business, the court has been told.
Their fashion store Bella Bleu had lost more than $320,000 over a four-year period and they had mounting credit card debt of more than $82,000.
Borce Ristevski’s son Anthony Rickard will not testify during the hearing.
Rickard, 34, was due to give evidence this week at a committal hearing to determine whether his father stands trial.
But he was excused from giving evidence after talks with lawyers.
Borce Ristevski carries the coffin out of the church as friends attend the funeral of his wife
Anthony Rickard, 34, was due to give evidence this week at a committal hearing to determine whether his father stands trial for murder
‘Anthony Rickard will not be giving evidence,’ prosecutor Matt Fisher told Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Rickard allegedly dodged police for months because he didn’t want to testify at the hearing, but he was arrested during a weekend midnight raid on outstanding warrants.
Police forced their way into a Diggers Rest home to make the arrest and allegedly found drug paraphernalia in Rickard’s room.
Although he won’t give evidence in person, his police statement will still be given to the magistrate for consideration.
The committal hearing continues.
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