A Melbourne court has been told of the efforts Borce Ristevski made to cover up the killing of his wife, which a prosecutor said took a "high degree of callousness".
Key points:
- Karen Ristevski disappeared in June 2016 and her body was found eight months later
- Borce Ristevski was charged with murder in December 2016, but denied involvement
- Last month, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the eve of his murder trial
The remains of Ms Ristevski, 47, were found in a nature reserve in February 2017.
The court heard Ms Ristevski was killed at the couple's Avondale Heights home sometime between 8:58am and 10:43am on June 29, 2016.
Ristevski then placed his wife's body in the boot of his car and drove to Mount Macedon, where he hid the body under logs, branches and foliage, the court was told.
Rivstevski had denied any involvement in her death until he pleaded guilty to manslaughter two weeks ago.
"To this day only one person knows how or why Karen Ristevski was killed," prosecutor Brendan Kissane told the court during today's plea hearing.
"He demonstrated a high degree of callousness."
Ristevski has sat impassively, clasping his hands, during the plea hearing.
Borce Ristevski's story 'was all lies'
The Ristevskis operated a clothing business under the company name Warrant Brands and had debts of more than $400,000 at the time of Ms Ristevski's disappearance, previous hearings have been told.
The court today heard Ms Ristevski was a "devoted mum" who "worked very hard … to make a success" of their business.
The morning of her death, the couple had argued about the business as Ms Ristevski "had had a bad day at the store the day before", the prosecution said.
"I can't talk to you right now — I'm going to clear my head," Ms Ristevski is said to have told her husband.
The prosecutor said Ristevski had described his relationship with his wife as good.
"They would argue and scream over small things but no more than any other couple," Mr Kissane said.
The court heard Ristevski told police: "The most I would have done was push her away during an argument".
The day after his wife's death, he told police that she had been missing since she left the house between 10–11:00am the previous day.
"That was all lies," Prosecutor Kissane told the court.
"[Ristevski] had killed her 24 hours beforehand."
The court also heard details of a December 2017 conversation between Ristevski and his daughter, Sarah Ristevski, during which he claimed police had "planted" evidence.
"That makes no sense," Ms Ristevski, who turned 21 just weeks before her mother's disappearance, told him.
"Nothing makes sense," Ristevski was heard to have replied. "Police are making things up."
He was arrested soon after.
The hearing continues.
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