A jury has found a Victorian handyman guilty of killing his 77-year-old neighbour by severe beatings.
In March 2019, Stuart Paul Anderson denied any involvement in the death of Vicki Ramadan after her body was discovered inside her Sydenham, a north-west Melbourne suburb.
In televised interviews, he expressed to the public his hope that “the cops catch the son of a bitch” who did the killing, saying she seemed like a wonderful girl.
On Thursday, a jury determined that he was the one who killed her. Anderson was accused by the prosecution of killing Ramadan between March 23 and March 25, 2019.
The two got to know one another when Anderson answered the door to the widower Ramadan, who needed assistance with some odd duties around the house, like assembling flat box furniture.
In the days leading up to Ramadan’s murder, witnesses claimed to have overheard the couple argue several times.
A cab driver claimed to have witnessed Ramadan and Anderson fighting early on March 23 over his tardiness in helping her with some work.
A witness heard Anderson yelling angrily at Ramadan, “Fix it yourself,” at around 3:30 p.m. A lady who was staying with him at the time claimed that he went and returned home “scary” and angry.Anderson returned to work at Ramadan’s at 6 p.m.
Up until March 25 at noon, there were indications of life, such as a call from one of her phones to another and a spike in electricity that seemed to be related to a hotplate, but after that, nothing.
Anderson was found guilty by the third jury in relation to the accusations.
A second trial was halted before deliberations could begin, and one jury was dismissed for not being able to reach a judgement.
During those proceedings, Anderson informed the Victorian Supreme Court jury that he would check in with his partner on Ramadan on April 6, 2019, at around nine in the morning, and collect up some tools he had left at her residence. He claimed that after entering via the rear door—which had been forced open—he discovered her body.
He admitted that he had actually found her body between 1.30 and 2 am on April 6 after he had knocked on the rear door himself, but the police were sceptical of his involvement. The story, according to prosecutor Neil Hutton, is a farce and a pantomime.
Ramadan was known for wearing a lot of jewellery, the court heard, and following her death, cash and jewels were discovered in her home. Those who supported Ramadan were present in court for the judgement, and one of them gave Anderson the finger as the guilty decision was announced. A pre-sentence hearing for Anderson is scheduled for a later time.
