A man charged with a murder dating back nearly 30 years told his girlfriend at the time "the nanny saw me" and "I killed her" after a robbery in Sydney's eastern suburbs, a jury has heard.
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Alani Afu, 50, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Rita Caleo, who was stabbed 23 times in her Double Bay townhouse in August 1990.
Ms Caleo's husband, Mark Caleo, has been charged with soliciting her murder and also the murder of her brother, Michael Chye, who was shot in the head at close range as he drove into the garage of his Woollahra home in October 1989.
The Crown alleges Caleo felt he was being ripped off by the siblings. He's pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Giving evidence in the Supreme Court of NSW trial on Tuesday, Afu's girlfriend at the time - who can't be named for legal reasons - said he came back to their car parked outside the townhouse with blood on him after going in to steal Ms Caleo's jewellery.
She told Caleo's barrister Grant Brady SC an "Italian looking man" gave Afu money before he visited the Double Bay property to scope it out for a robbery.
The man also drove her and Afu to the property on the night Ms Caleo died and then came to their house after to pay Afu more money.
The witness also told prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC that the man knew the layout of the Double Bay home and how to conduct the robbery.
"He said where in the room the jewellery was ... and said the window was going to be left open," she said.
He had also said a nanny and a baby would be inside the home, she added.
She confirmed to Mr Brady under cross-examination that when Afu got back in the car he frantically said: "The nanny saw me, the nanny saw me, I killed her, I killed her."
The court had earlier been told that Anthony Stambolis was allegedly the man who found the hit man to kill his boss' wife.
Mr Stambolis told prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC that Caleo told him to offer $10,000 to find someone to kill his wife and make it look like a "robbery gone wrong".
He said Caleo initially told him to find someone to rob his home for $2000 for insurance purposes but then increased it to $10,000 to have his wife killed.
Caleo changed his mind about the murder when he was feeling the heat after Dr Chye's death, but said an insurance job "wouldn't raise a brow", Mr Stambolis told the court.
However, Mr Stambolis said he still told "the Tongan" that the $10,000 was to kill Ms Caleo, but thought she would be out the night they arranged to rob the house.
The trial is continuing.
Australian Associated Press
