Colin Earl Graham is facing trial at Victoria’s Supreme Court for the murder of young widow, Ina-Doris Warrick, which occurred at her Melbourne home more than 30 years ago.
A post-it note was found in Ms Warrick’s study and was read out to the jury at the trial, according to news.com.au.
“My idea of love is somebody you can trust, someone who stands by you in your hour of need, somebody to tell you right from wrong. Who will cherish and honour you. Be loyal and help when you need help,” the note said.
Ms Warrick was only 25 at the time of her death.
Mr Graham went out for dinner with Ms Warrick on March 21 and it’s alleged he stabbed her twice in the back after he dropped her home.
Yet her body was not discovered for several days.
Mr Graham, now 66, has pleaded not guilty, saying he had nothing to do with Ms Warrick’s death.
However, prosecutors told the court that witnesses have said Mr Graham spoke to them about his alleged involvement.
Mr Graham denies such conversations took place, and his lawyer claims the witnesses only spoke up after the case appeared on television in 2015 on a program called Million Dollar Cold Case.
The court was shown harrowing crime scene footage, which included images of the body and blood on the ceiling.
A forensic pathologist told the court Ms Warrick was stabbed twice in the back. One wound pierced her heart and lung and proved to be fatal, according to news.com.au.
Ms Warrick’s lover, anaesthetist Dr Greg Stewart, discovered her body on March 23 but didn’t report it to police.
He was questioned on March 26, but did not tell anyone about his gruesome discovery until two days after he initially spoke with police, the court heard.
The nurse’s body was only discovered when Ms Warrick’s neighbour, Elaine Tresise, went to check on her on March 25. She and her husband Maxwell immediately reported their gruesome discovery to police.
In a 2018 statement from Maxwell Tresise, he alleges that about six to 12 months after the nurse’s death, the couple received a letter from Dr Stewart.
“[The letter] was written with empathy and sincere apologies; apologised for the trauma caused to Sally for leaving her to discover Ina-Doris’s body; expressed how out of character it was for him to find her body and not report her death,” he said, according to news.com.au.
The couple held onto the carefully worded letter for 20 years. But after two decades, Mrs Tresise began to feel “disturbed” and distressed having the letter in their home and the couple agreed to burn it, Mr Tresise said.
Dr Stewart has not been charged with any wrongdoing. The trial is continuing.
