Before her tragic and untimely death, Tatiana Dokhotaru revealed to confidants that her former partner had menaced her with threats to take her life. During a heated argument, he allegedly assaulted her by dragging her by the hair and repeatedly spitting on her.

Dokhotaru, aged 34, met her demise in her high-rise apartment located in south-west Sydney on the evening of May 26, 2023.

Her former boyfriend, Danny Zayat, is currently facing trial in the NSW Supreme Court, having pleaded not guilty to charges of her murder.

Zayat, 30, stands accused of delivering one or more blows to Dokhotaru’s head, potentially coupled with a shove that might have led to her fatal fall.

On Monday, Dokhotaru’s parents, who reside in Canada, provided testimony regarding Zayat’s pattern of abusive calls to their daughter during their 2022 visit.

The prosecution contends that Zayat exhibited a pattern of violence and abuse toward Dokhotaru throughout their tumultuous relationship and following their separation.

An interim two-year apprehended domestic violence order was taken out in a local court in May 2022 to protect Dokhotaru, the jury was told.

But Zayat rejected claims he was violent towards Dokhotaru or had anything to do with her death, his lawyer told the jury.

Defence barrister Madeleine Avenell SC said her client did not deny he had been in a “volatile and dysfunctional” relationship with Dokhotaru, but he didn’t kill her.