A Melbourne man who was jealous of his girlfriend's relationship with another woman killed her and left her body to rot in a bathtub for months, prosecutors have told the Supreme Court.
Andrew Baker, 55, is on trial for the murder of Sarah Gatt, whose body was discovered by police in January 2018, about eight months after she was allegedly killed inside her home in Kensington, in the city's inner north-west.
Mr Baker has pleaded not guilty, with his barrister arguing the Crown case against him had "many problems".
Prosecutor John Dickie told the jury police found Ms Gatt's body in a state of "extreme decomposition", with the 40-year-old's clothing partially removed, power cords wrapped around her legs, and household items piled on top of her remains.
Police were not able to identify a cause of death or noticeable injuries, but found Ms Gatt's blood in various parts of the house in Lambeth Street in Kensington, Mr Dickie said.
Mr Dickie said Mr Baker and Ms Gatt had been in an on-and-off relationship that was marred by violence, abuse and drug-taking.
He said Mr Baker had grown jealous of a new relationship Ms Gatt had developed with another woman, Leona Rei-Paku.
"He wanted Sarah Gatt to himself," Mr Dickie told the court.
"It's alleged the accused murdered Sarah Gatt. It's alleged he was motivated by jealousy and anger."
After the alleged killing in mid-April 2017, prosecutors allege Mr Baker explained away Ms Gatt's absence by telling friends she was away in a rehabilitation centre.
To keep up the impression she was still alive, Mr Baker was accused of writing love letters and sending text messages to a phone number that he pretended was hers.
Friends shown body in bathtub
In mid-August 2017, Mr Baker took friends and Ms Rei-Paku to the home and showed them a foot sticking out from the bathtub, Mr Dickie said.
None of the people who saw the remains made a police report, the court heard.
Mr Dickie said the accused collected Ms Gatt's Centrelink payments for months after her death, but also said Ms Rei-Paku had also tried to claim the money three weeks after she last saw Ms Gatt.
Defence barrister John Saunders described the prosecution case as circumstantial, saying there was no direct proof that his client killed Ms Gatt.
He said while Mr Baker had shown people a body in the bathtub, he argued the jury could not find beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Baker was responsible.
He said there was a possibility someone else had killed Ms Gatt or she had died in an accident.
Mr Saunders said Mr Baker and Ms Gatt came "from a very different walk of life" to most people and were surrounded by poverty, a lack of housing security and substance addiction.
"They are people who live on the outskirts of society," he said.
Late on Tuesday, one of the jury panel of 14 was discharged from the case after approaching a journalist covering the trial outside the court building.
It leaves the jury with only one spare member as a backup, with 12 jurors to deliver their verdicts at the end of the trial.
Judge Dixon reminded the jury of their obligations not to speak to others outside court about the case, or to interact with the media.
"Don't engage in any conversations. The only other people you speak to about this case are other members of the jury," she told them.
