‘I’m Very Afraid of Him’: Chilling Warning from Sydney Woman Before Her Alleged Murder by Ex-Partner
- Tatiana Dokhotaru, 34, told her mother she was ‘very afraid’ of her ex-partner Danny Zayat before her death in May 2023.
- Zayat, 30, has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder, claiming he left the apartment after an argument and had no involvement in her death.
- Tatiana’s mother Olya Dokhotaru revealed her daughter’s fears in court, saying she had chosen a new apartment to feel safer with neighbours around.
In a heartbreaking development, the mother of a Sydney woman allegedly murdered by her ex-partner has revealed her daughter’s desperate fears in the months leading up to her death. Olya Dokhotaru told the Supreme Court that her daughter Tatiana Dokhotaru, 34, had confided in her about her ‘very afraid’ feelings towards Danny Zayat, 30, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder.
Tatiana’s body was found in her Liverpool apartment in May 2023, with blows to her head and signs of a violent struggle. The Crown alleges that Zayat inflicted one or more blows to her head, in combination with a fall, before calling emergency services the following day.
But Zayat’s defence team claims he left the apartment after an argument and had no involvement in Tatiana’s death. The trial, before Justice Desmond Fagan, continues.
Olya Dokhotaru, who lives in Canada, recalled her daughter’s visit in May 2022, during which she overheard Zayat’s abusive language and threats to kill Tatiana over the phone. ‘I would hear screaming, Danny’s voice,’ she told the court.
When Tatiana returned to Sydney, she moved to a new apartment in Liverpool, which her mother believed was a deliberate attempt to escape Zayat’s clutches. ‘Tania said that she’s very afraid of Danny, that’s why she chose that apartment, that she’ll have neighbours around, she’ll feel much safer,’ Olya Dokhotaru told the jury.
In a chilling phone conversation on her birthday in May 2023, Tatiana sent her mother a video showing her neck with fingerprints around it. ‘Her neck was almost black,’ Olya Dokhotaru said.
The jury also heard a triple-0 call made by Tatiana, in which she told the operator that Zayat was ‘trying to kill me’ and ‘stealing my money’. The call ended abruptly when Zayat allegedly threw her phone over the balcony.
As the trial continues, the court is expected to hear more evidence about the tumultuous relationship between Tatiana and Zayat, and the events leading up to her tragic death.