Danny Zayat: Sydney man found guilty of murdering ex-partner Tatiana Dokhotaru after she called police for help

A Sydney man has been found guilty of murdering his ex-partner in a shocking case of domestic violence during which he threw her phone from her balcony as she called police for help.

Danny Zayat was on Thursday found guilty of murdering his former partner, Tatiana Dokhotaru, inside her Liverpool unit in May 2023, with a jury accepting that he beat her during a violent argument and threw her phone from her balcony as she desperately called triple-0.

Ms Dokhotaru was found dead inside the high-rise, 22nd floor unit having suffered three head injuries - cuts to her scalp and lip and a bruised right cheek.

Zayat pleaded not guilty to murdering his former partner, with whom he had a volatile relationship.

Through his legal team he denied inflicting any harm on her and claimed that she was still alive when he left her apartment - however that version of events was rejected by the jury.

During his Supreme Court trial, the Crown prosecution argued that he inflicted a number of blows to her head, possibly in combination with causing her to fall, during an argument inside her unit on the evening of May 26, 2023.

The jury was played a triple-0 call from that night during which Ms Dokhotaru told the operator: “My ex-boyfriend is here and he’s trying to kill me” and that he was “bashing” her.

According to the Crown case, Zayat took Ms Dokhotaru’s phone, ended the triple-0 call before killing her.

During the call, she gave the operator her street address but it was cut short before she could give her apartment number.

The court was told that Zayat could be heard on the call saying “Did you phone the cops?”

After a week of deliberations, the six-man, six-woman jury delivered an 11-1 majority verdict on Thursday afternoon.

Minutes earlier, they had told Justice Desmond Fagan they were unable to reach a unanimous decision before being told they could consider a majority verdict.

Zayat was emotionless as the verdict was read out by the jury foreperson and hung his head as Justice Fagan discussed sentence proceedings later this year.

Ms Dokhotaru’s body was discovered when Zayat returned the following day, on May 27, 2023, and phoned triple-0.

The court has been told that her neighbours, Saska Simic and Husam Alsadi, reported hearing an argument and thuds coming from her unit on the night she was murdered.

The court was told that the couple reported hearing yelling and what they said sounded like objects being thrown around.

Mr Alsadi told the court during his evidence that he heard a male yelling “you f***ing slut” and a woman yelling “get out, get out”.

Mr Alsadi described the man’s voice as being “guttural”, the court has been told.

Crown prosecutor Alex Morris alleged Zayat and Ms Dokhotaru’s relationship was marked by physical violence and verbal abuse, and described it as “volatile and dysfunctional”.

The court heard during the trial that Mr Zayat was overheard by the woman’s mother abusing Ms Dokhotaru during a phone call.

Olya Dokhotaru, who lives in Canada, told the court her daughter was on a trip to visit her at the time.

Olya Dokhotaru said she overheard Zayat, while he was on speakerphone, calling Ms Dokhotaru a “fat slut” and telling her “come home and I’ll kill you”.

The Crown further alleged that Zayat also previously physically assaulted her during an incident in her apartment when she was dragged by the hair and spat on.

Mr Morris told the court that Ms Dokhotaru told several friends via text message about an alleged incident during which Zayat went through her phone and found messages with men before assaulting her.

The Crown also alleged that Zayat had given her a black eye and injured her ribs about a week before her death.

The court heard she told friends that she had injured herself by tripping over a vacuum cleaner, but the Crown called that unlikely and argued she was covering up for Zayat.

Zayat will now appear before the court for a sentence hearing on December 19.

If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, phone 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Crisis Care Helpline on 1800 199 008.