- News
- National
Borce Ristevski had 'flimsy' story after Karen vanished, aunt claims
2:37pm Jul 19, 2018
Karen Ristevski’s car was ‘driven off road’
Borce Ristevski's accounts of the day his wife Karen vanished seemed "flimsy", her aunt told police.
Patricia Gray, who flew to Melbourne from NSW after her niece went missing, also said in her statement that Ristevski wasn't helping police as best he could.
Ms Gray stayed with Ristevski and his daughter Sarah at their Avondale Heights home for more than a week to support them and assist in the search for Ms Ristevski.
The Ristevskis were in dire financial straits at the time of the murder and would sometimes argue about money and business.
"I provided as much support as I could for both of them," Ms Gray said in a statement, released by a court on Thursday.
"But I could tell Borce wasn't assisting police or himself to find Karen, which I found frustrating."
It's alleged Ristevski killed his wife at home and dumped the body in the quiet bushland area, taking Karen's Mercedes-Benz roadster to do so.
Ms Gray told police that Ristevski originally said he took the car to several garages for quotes that day.
But Ristevski said that was wrong and he actually drove the car to get petrol, changing his mind when the faulty fuel gauge showed it wasn't needed.
He claimed he kept driving towards Ms Ristevki's dress store but missed the turn-off so decided to return home.
"I accepted this first account about going to the garages for the quotes, and (was) relieved because I believed police could verify his movements," Ms Gray told police.
"But this second account appeared to be flimsy and I found it hard to fathom."
It's alleged Karen's body is inside this black Mercedes-Benz caught on CCTV the morning the prosecution alleges she was murdered.
A computer systems and digital imagery expert testified on Thursday, saying CCTV footage taken near Diggers Rest shows a car like Ms Ristevski's.
The footage is blurry but Dr Matthew Sorell, a lecturer at the University of Adelaide, said the driver in question had features "broadly consistent" with Ristevski.
"I would note the short hair, coloured light grey," he said.
Dr Sorell also noted the driver's physical features were not consistent with the brunette Karen Ristevski.
"The physical features are not a match in terms of long hair, in particular the colour."
Ristevski was charged in December last year and he's fighting the allegations.
The hearing continues.
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2018