The husband of a woman who was found dead in Sydney’s eastern suburbs 25 years ago has been charged with murder.
Aaron Govendir, 81, was arrested in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, at 10.15am on Thursday after his wife Denise Govendir, 53, was allegedly bludgeoned to death in Dover Heights in March 1998.
Emergency services responded to reports of a home invasion where they located the body of the Ms Govendir inside a bedroom of the couple’s home about 2am on Tuesday March 10, 1998.
Police were told the occupants, Ms Govendir and then 55-year-old Aaron Govendir, had been assaulted by an unknown man who broke into their home under the pretence of being a police officer.
It was initially alleged the unknown man struck Govendir, knocking him out, before restraining his thumbs and toes with zip ties.
He was accused of then seriously assaulting Ms Govendir before fleeing the scene in a 1997 Ford Laser sedan, which was recovered 1.7km from the home in Rose Bay 11 days later.
Govendir claimed he called police after regaining consciousness.
A coronial inquest between 2005 and 2008 alleged Ms Govendir died from a blunt force head injury intentionally inflicted by a person or persons unknown.
A man has been arrested 25 years after the alleged murder of a woman in Sydney’s eastern suburbs
However, that finding was followed by the declaration of Govendir being the most prominent person of interest in the case.
The Coroner in 2008 cited ‘significant circumstantial evidence’ implicating Govendir but said there was ‘insufficient evidence’ to indict him.
The lead detective on the case, Mark Murdoch, ended his submission to the inquiry by stating: ‘At the time of writing, Aaron Govendir still lives in the house where his wife of 30 years died a brutal death, and still drives the motor vehicle in which it is alleged his wife’s killer, or killers, made good their escape.’
A $1million reward was offered in late 2023 to help police solve the mystery cold case.
Govendir was charged with murder and refused bail to appear in Penrith Local Court on Thursday.
Police will allege in court he fabricated the story about the home invasion to cover up her murder.
No one has previously been charged over Ms Govendir’s death.
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