A 61-year-old Greek Australian man killed the love of his life after becoming depressed because he was under investigation for a rape case 30 years ago, and the couple’s home had been bombarded with misdirected phone calls to a Melbourne brothel, a court has heard.
George Misalis killed his wife Zaharia in March 2013 in a mystifying attack that he has been unable to explain, other than to claim she had made an inflammatory comment.
Misalis strangled his wife of nearly 40 years with a ligature in their South Morang home before stabbing her body with scissors.
At a plea hearing, his lawyer Peter Morrissey SC told Justice Betty King that Misalis had plunged into depression shortly before the murder.
This followed him being interviewed by police about a 30-year-old rape and falling from a balcony, rendering him unable to work.
“He had a number of stressors and he just wasn’t able to handle them,” Mr Morrissey said.
The couple’s home had also been subjected to repeated calls from ‘brothel seekers’ because their home number was similar to a brothel in Carlton.
“There were beastly individuals on the other end of the line,” Mr Morrissey said.
The couple had three children, who provided their father with a character reference.
Misalis initially pleaded not guilty to his wife’s murder but subsequently changed his plea to guilty, avoiding a trial.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
Source: Herald Sun