The mother of a woman allegedly killed by her boyfriend is accused of being “instructed” by a brothel owner on what to say in court.
Ellie Price’s remains were discovered by police in May 2020 in her blood-soaked bedroom during a welfare check.
The 26-year-old’s throat had been slit and she was found with multiple stab wounds as investigators concluded she had been murdered six days earlier.
This week, her former boyfriend Ricardo Barbaro, 36, is set for trial in the Victorian Supreme Court after pleading guilty to murder.
On Tuesday, Ms Price’s mother, Tracey Gangell, took the stand when she was questioned repeatedly by Mr Barbaro’s lawyer, Rishi Nathwani, about her daughter’s relationship with another man named Mark Gray.
Ellie Price’s remains were discovered by police in May 2020 in her blood-soaked bedroom during a welfare check
Mr Nathwani told the court that the couple met while Ms Price was working as a dancer in a strip club in Melbourne, with Mr Gray soon beginning to support her financially.
He suggested that text messages between Mr Gray and Mrs Gangell indicated that he “spent a lot of money on Ellie”, including paying her rent, a $1000 weekly allowance and giving her a Mercedes Benz.
Ms Gangell described their relationship as “exceptionally close” friends but said she didn’t know if there was anything about their relationship other than financial support.
“He was hoping (to marry Mrs. Price), but Ellie only liked him as a friend, he was just a good friend to Ellie,” she said.
Text messages read to the jury between Mr Gray and Ms Price’s sister Danielle ahead of a previous court hearing for Mr Barbaro reveal he had ‘instructed’ her on what to say, suggested Mr Nathwani .
‘My tip is to remember three reactions; I don’t know, as far as I know, and I’m not sure they’ll hate that LOL,’ Mr Gray allegedly messaged Danielle.
“I want you to remember one comment in connection with all the negative about Ellie; ‘I don’t know’…that will really ruin their day LOL.’
This week, her former boyfriend Ricardo Barbaro, 36, is set for trial in the Victorian High Court after pleading not guilty to murder.
Mr Nathwani suggested that Mr Gray had met the two women to ‘get their stories straight’ because he did not want the court to find out that he was supporting Ms Price financially and that he owned brothels in Melbourne and Sydney.
During her questioning, Ms Gangell denied that she was given instructions on what to say and denied that she deleted text messages containing Mr Gray about a year after Ms Price’s death.
Prosecutors, led by Damien Hannan, allege Barbara killed Ms. Price during a violent altercation in the early hours of April 29.
In his opening speech, Mr Hannan said the case would be built on DNA evidence at the crime scene, a history of alleged violence between the couple and Mr Barbaro’s ‘conduct’ following the alleged crime.
He told the jury that Ms Price’s Mercedes-Benz was captured on CCTV at 4:30 am on April 29 “never to return” and that Mr Barbaro’s mobile phone records were his phone “near” of the Mercedes-Benz as it drove through the streets of Melbourne. northern suburbs.
In his opening speech on Monday, Mr Nathwani said questions would be asked about whether others had a motive for Ms Price’s death.
“To be clear, this is a whodunit, meaning that Mr. Barbaro denies killing Ellie Price,” he said.
“Did she upset anyone enough that they’d want to harm her?”
Questioning Ms Gangell, Mr Nathwani suggested that her daughter’s relationship with Mr Gray had soured in early 2020.
Ms Price’s mother, Tracey Gangell (pictured), took the stand when she was questioned repeatedly by Mr Barbaro’s lawyer, Rishi Nathwani, about her daughter’s relationship with another man named Mark Gray
He read text messages between Mrs. Gangell and Mr. Gray from early April in which Mr. Gray claimed that Mrs. Price had attempted to extort $100,000 from him by threatening to report the rape to the police.
Ms Gangell told the jury she did not believe her daughter would try to extort Mr Gray.
“Ellie would never say anything like what was in that e-mail,” she said.
“I don’t think she made it herself.
“Ellie was a nice girl, she had a heart of gold and I don’t see her throwing away such a good friend.”
The trial, before Judge Lex Lasry, continues.