Sydney Man Found Guilty of Brutal Murder of Ex-Girlfriend in Liverpool Apartment – Jury Returns Majority Verdict After Three-and-a-Half Days of Deliberation
- Danny Zayat, 31, found guilty of murdering ex-girlfriend Tatiana Dokhotaru, 34, in their Liverpool apartment in May 2023
- Jury returns majority 11-1 verdict after three-and-a-half days of deliberation, with Zayat showing no reaction in court
- Prosecutors described the couple’s relationship as “volatile, dysfunctional and at a real low” before Dokhotaru’s death
- Zayat’s sentence proceedings are expected to begin in December, with his solicitor saying he is “very disappointed” and will consider an appeal
Danny Zayat, a 31-year-old Sydney man, has been found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend Tatiana Dokhotaru in their Liverpool apartment in May 2023. The jury returned a majority 11-1 verdict after three-and-a-half days of deliberation, with Zayat showing no reaction in court.
The prosecution described the couple’s relationship as “volatile, dysfunctional and at a real low” before Dokhotaru’s death. Zayat had pleaded not guilty to murder, claiming he had left the apartment and did not cause Dokhotaru’s death. However, the Crown argued that Zayat had a tendency to be physically violent and verbally abusive throughout their troubled relationship.
The court heard that Dokhotaru had called triple-0 one Friday night, telling the operator that Zayat was “trying to kill me” and “stealing my money”. The call ended abruptly after 89 seconds, with the Crown arguing that Zayat threw the phone off a balcony of the Liverpool high-rise complex. CCTV footage showed a flash of light from the balcony around the same time, and the phone was never recovered.
A pathologist testified that Dokhotaru’s cause of death was a blunt force head injury, which the Crown said was the result of one or more blows, in combination with a fall. The jury was asked to weigh up a matrix of circumstantial elements in deciding whether they were satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Zayat caused Dokhotaru’s death.
Outside court, Zayat’s solicitor Talal Krayem said his client was “very disappointed” and would consider an appeal. “There’s not much to say, we respect the court process,” he said.
Zayat’s sentence proceedings are expected to begin in December. The case has highlighted the issue of domestic violence, with the court hearing that there was an apprehended domestic violence order in place at the time of Dokhotaru’s death.
Family and domestic violence support services are available for those affected by the case. The NSW Domestic Violence Line can be contacted on 1800 656 463, while the 1800 Respect national helpline can be reached on 1800 737 732.