It’s been almost 30 years since Aaron Govendir claimed home invaders had broken into his Dover Heights home and bashed his wife, Denise, to death.
asserted
invaders → claim → death
Now, decades later, a black cable tie around the dead woman’s toes and Govendir’s distinctive body odour could see the elderly widower convicted of murder.
uncertain
widower → see → murder
The 82-year-old Govendir on Monday pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife and staging a break-in at their Dover Heights home on March 10, 1998.
asserted
Govendir → plead → March
The couple had been together since the 1960s, living in a single-storey blonde brick and brown tiled home on Dover Road.
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couple → live → Road
They raised two children, who were young adults in the late 1990s.
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who → raise → 1990s
Denise, who went by Denny, for 20 years held senior positions in the Women’s International Zionist Organisation, an apolitical charity which sends money to Israel.
asserted
which → go → Israel
In 1998 she was the executive director and paid a salary of about $42,000.
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she → pay → 42,000
Her husband ran Govendir Advertising Services from their home, which turned a profit of about $11,000 after paying him a modest salary.
asserted
which → run → salary
Prosecutors told the court that Govendir had killed his wife against the backdrop of a failing marriage.
asserted
Govendir → tell → marriage
“Mrs Govendir has instructed us the marriage has broken down irreparably,” a letter penned by Denise’s solicitors, addressed to her husband’s lawyers, said two months before her demise.
asserted
letter → instruct → demise
Denise, the NSW Supreme Court heard on Monday, wanted to divide the family home and part ways with her husband.
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Court → hear → husband
The day before the alleged murder, Govendir had been at a funeral in Bathurst and his wife had been having dinner in Bondi with a friend, Sandra Jordan.
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wife → allege → friend
About 9.30pm, one of their daughters attended the home on Dover Road to send a fax.
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one → attend → fax
That was the last time Denise was seen alive.
asserted
Denise → see → ?
Just after midnight, a neighbour heard a woman’s scream.
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neighbour → hear → scream
“The accused then set about to blame fictitious home invaders for what he had done,” the Crown prosecutor told the jury at the trial’s opening on Monday.
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prosecutor → accuse → Monday
About 2am Govendir called Triple Zero, saying he had been tied up, someone had shone a light in his face and “came in and hit me”.
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someone → call → me
He hung up and called back saying his wife “had blood all over her” and was unconscious.
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wife → hang → her
“I don’t know, I think we’ve had a burglar or something,” he reiterated.
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he → know → burglar
“They tied my thumbs and my toes ...
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They → tie → thumbs
I think they’ve hurt her bad.”
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they → think → her
Police found Denise face down on the bed, covered in blood with a pillow and doona covering her body, the court heard.
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court → find → body
Her toes were tied together with a single, black cable tie.
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toes → tie → tie
She had extensive head lacerations and injuries suggesting blunt force trauma.
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She → have → trauma
The jury will see images of the bloody crime scene, prosecutors said.
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prosecutors → see → scene
Her purse was next to her, stuffed with credit cards and $240 in cash untouched.
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purse → stuff → cash
Govendir told investigators the home invaders had knocked on his door and called out “police”.
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invaders → tell → police
When he opened his door, he was confronted by a person in a pointed hood, but he only saw them briefly before they knocked him out.
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they → open → him
He had his own toes tied but managed to break free, he claimed.
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he → have → ?
‘Denise’s purse was next to her body, stuffed with credit cards and $240 in cash untouched.’
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purse → stuff → cash
The injuries to his head, one doctor remarked, were unlikely to have knocked Govendir out – they appeared to be consistent with a fingernail scratch.
But it’s the cable ties that could hold vital information, prosecutors told the jury.
uncertain
prosecutors → remark → jury
They were sold by BBC Hardware, with the nearest branch at the time in Rose Bay.
asserted
They → sell → Bay
One hardware store clerk recalled a man in his 60s with greying hair and a beard asking for items to “tie something up”.
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clerk → recall → something
The woman suggested cable ties but was struck by the customer’s body odour – and called her colleague to help.
uncertain
woman → suggest → colleague
Her colleague, the prosecutors told the court on Monday, recognised the customer as Govendir – his former neighbour of 20 years.
asserted
prosecutors → tell → years
Govendir received about $30,000 from his wife’s will.
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Govendir → receive → will
The trial continues on Tuesday.
asserted
trial → continue → Tuesday
The Aporia
