May 06, 2013

Murder 'fuelled by jealousy and revenge' says Crown

By David Clarkson. Nikki?Roper murder trial,?further?Day 2 report.?The Crown says Alexsis Maria Tovizi?s death was fuelled by an ex-boyfriend?s jealousy and revenge, but the defence will allege suicide was involved.

The ex-boyfriend, Nikki Roper, 24, is on trial for the young mother?s murder in December 2010. His defence has made no opening statement in the trial before Justice Forrest Miller but the young mother?s state of mind is going to be an issue at the two-week trial.

The Crown has pointed to statements by Roper that he had put Miss Tovizi in a sleeper hold, or had held the back of her head when she tried to drown herself in a pot of water. It alleged to the jury that Roper had a propensity for violence and strangulation ? particularly the use of the carotid or sleeper hold.

Miss Tovizi?s mother, Cheryl Tovizi, said when she spoke to her daughter by phone on the day before her death there was ?absolutely no indication that she may have been suicidal?. She told the court: ?I know the signs.?

When she tried to reach her daughter next day, Roper told her she had gone to stay with his friends in Greymouth but he would not give her the address or telephone number. He said he had her cellphone.

She said Miss Tovizi had a relatively stable period until Roper was released from prison and came back into her life in November that year.

When her daughter told her Roper was out of prison, Miss Tovizi had said he was ?psycho? and she did not want anything to do with him.

Her daughter had a protection order in place, but she later told her mother: ?It?s all right. I can handle him. It will be okay.?

She told of the police telling her that her daughter?s body had been found in bed in the Stanmore Road property where she was living.

Police had then asked her to check whether she had any pills missing and she could not find a bottle that had contained about four sleeping pills.

Cheryl Tovizi had to stop her evidence and take a break to compose herself at one point while giving her evidence.