Slain woman’s last call about ex ‘trying to kill me’

In a triple zero call shortly before her death, a fearful woman said her abusive ex-partner had tried to kill her and steal her money at her home.

Tatiana Dokhotaru was killed late at night on 26 May 2023 in her 22nd-floor flat in south-west Sydney.

Her former partner Danny Zayat, 30, has pleaded not guilty to her murder and faces the first day of his NSW Supreme Court jury trial on Monday.

Jurors heard Ms Dokhotaru’s 89-second call to triple zero shortly before she was allegedly killed.

“Yes, hello. My ex-boyfriend is here and he’s trying to kill me,” she told the operator.

Attorney General Alex Morris said that in recordings of the meeting, the two could be heard arguing about money.

Ms. Dokhotaru told the operator that she had been beaten and that Zayat had stolen her money.

The jury heard he gave the address of his flat in the Sydney suburb of Liverpool before the conversation ended.

The Crown alleges Zayat grabbed the phone, ended the call and then threw the device off the unit’s elevated balcony.

The court was told he was never rescued.

Zayat is accused of murdering Ms. Dokhotaru within the next hour.

He allegedly did this by delivering one or more blows to the head or hitting and pushing him on the head, causing head trauma.

Mr Morris said his intention was either to kill his former partner or to cause him actual serious bodily harm.

Prosecutors will file an alternative manslaughter charge against Zayat if the murder charge cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The trial continues.

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