Lover thought murdered wife alive

Fred and Edwina Boyle met working on Cardiff's buses

The former lover of a man accused of killing his wife and hiding her body in a barrel always believed the missing woman was alive, a court has heard.

Frederick William Boyle, 58, originally from Peterson-super-Ely, Vale of Glamorgan, denies murdering his wife Edwina in Melbourne, Australia.

Mr Boyle's ex-girlfriend Virginia Gissara moved in the day after his wife's disappearence 23 years ago.

Mrs Boyle's remains were discovered during a house clear-up in 2006.

Questioned for the trial at Victoria Supreme Court in Melbourne, Ms Gissara said she had moved in because she had had a row with her husband and had nowhere else to go.

She denied having had plans to co-habit with Mr Boyle prior to his wife's disappearance.

She and Mr Boyle separated in 1988.

I always thought Edwina would return. I knew there would be words, but I just always thought she would come back Virginia Gissara

Ms Gissara believed Mrs Boyle, 30 at the time of her disappearance, was alive despite helping the defendant dispose of all her clothes.

She told prosecutor Gavin Silbert: "I always thought Edwina would return. I knew there would be words, but I just always thought she would come back."

Defending, Jane Dixon asked Ms Gissara to confirm that she had been interviewed on numerous occasions by police officers over Mrs Boyle's disappearances, which she did.

"At one stage, did they question you as to whether or not you had any knowledge of Raymond Edmonds, alias Mr Stinky, and whether or not he may have known Edwina Boyle or had any connection with the household?" Ms Dixon asked.

Edmonds is a convicted rapist and murderer who was active in the state of Victoria from the 1960s to the mid-1980s who was known as "Mr Stinky" because of his offensive body odour.

Ms Gissara told the court she could not remember a discussion of that nature with the police.

Love bites

She added she had always stated she had no knowledge of or involvement with Mrs Boyle's death and that remained her position.

She had never discussed the disappearance with Mr Boyle, the court heard and could not remember a 44-gallon drum on the property when she moved in.

The family took the drum, which was later found to contain Mrs Boyle's remains, with them when they moved on two occasions.

The court also heard from a former family friend of the Boyles, Caroline Collins who said she had been babysitting for the couple so they could spend a Saturday night together.

Mrs Boyle had lots of love bites on her neck when she returned to collect the children the following day, Ms Collins told the court.

"They seemed happy," she said.

Mr Boyle's brother-in-law, Thomas Turner, told the court he had seen a handwritten note apparently written by Mrs Boyle.

"It stated Edwina was leaving Fred and going to live with another fella. She was going to leave the car and bankcard with [her husband]," he said.

The trial continues.