A Canberra woman allegedly murdered by members of her family was making plans to change her will before she died, a court has heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Katherine Panin, 81, was found dead on the back stairs of the family home in Red Hill on October 12, 2015.
Her daughter-in-law Melissa Beowulf and her two grandsons Thorsten, 32, and Bjorn Beowulf, 31, have pleaded not guilty to murder and are facing trial in the ACT Supreme Court.
By the time Mrs Panin died the family was in financial crisis, the court has heard.
There were two assets left, a home in Red Hill where the family lived, and one in Sydney that was to be sold.
The Crown alleges the three accused were motivated by money when they murdered Mrs Panin, who held millions of dollars in assets in her name including the Sydney property.
But the defence disputed the alleged motive, telling the jury Mrs Panin was being looked after by the family, and had been due to move into a retirement unit at the Grange in Deakin.
They said the valuable Woollahra property in Sydney that was in her name had been improved with family money and was considered a family asset.
They also said any proposed changes to the will would have benefited the accused grandsons.
Family friend Nona Cherikoff told the jury on Thursday how Mrs Panin and her son Thorhammer Beowulf would fight and that he would blame her for their financial mess.
Mrs Panin was scared she would end up destitute and on the street after her home in Woollahra was sold, Ms Cherikoff said.
Mrs Panin had too much in assets to receive the age pension, she said.
She said Mrs Beowulf was angry when she heard Mrs Panin limited the power of attorney Mrs Beowulf had held over her affairs.
Ms Cherikoff also told the court Mrs Panin was planning to change her will to also include her son's partner Dianne McGowan and her son.
The witness told the ACT Supreme Court that Mrs Panin thought it unfair how Ms McGowan and her son had been excluded from the will.
A focus of the murder trial is the family's financial arrangements from one generation to the next.
When Mrs Panin's husband George died, management of the family finances fell to their son Thorhammer Beowulf.
Ms Cherikoff said Mr Beowulf had told Mrs Panin that if she fought him over the finances he would take her to court. The witness said Mrs Panin had allowed him to take over.
When Mr Beowulf later succumbed to pancreatic cancer, Mrs Beowulf took charge of the arrangements.
Mrs Panin was born in China after her parents emigrated from Russia, the court has heard.
The family then moved to Australia, where Mrs Panin later met her husband George Panin.
Mr Panin was a successful businessman in Sydney, and owned several houses including what one witness described as a magnificent waterfront Hunter's Hill home with a wharf and a yacht.
Mr and Mrs Panin had a son Nicholas, who later changed his name to Thorhammer Beowulf.
Mr Beowulf's wife was Melissa Beowulf, and they had four sons. Mr Beowulf also had a de facto partner Ms McGowan, and they had a son, the court has heard.
The trial continues.
