Murder suspect John Lizanec told police guarding his cell he had “lost everything” after 28 years of marriage and added: “Five minutes to destroy it.”
Police Constable Tony Abbott told the High Court in Edinburgh he was tasked with carrying out “constant observation” of Lizanec following his arrest on February 14 2021.
The 49-year-old was taken into custody after his wife Michelle was found dead inside an airing cupboard at their former marital home in Inchture.
Giving evidence on day six of Lizanec’s murder trial, PC Abbott said he and colleague PC Nicola Stanfield were asked to watch over the accused at Dundee police station on February 15.
“His cell door was open and we sat on seats outside the door,” he told jurors.
PC Abbott, who was a probationary officer at the time, said he chatted with Lizanec about sports and other matters unrelated to the case.
He said later that evening, Lizanec stated he was feeling anxious, then told him: “I don’t know what went wrong.
“Married for 28 years, three great kids and I’ve lost everything.
“They left and I just had to get out of the house.
“Twenty-eight years to build up and five minutes to destroy it.”
The trial has previously heard how Lizaned told his mother “I’ve done a bad thing” and police “I need to face up to what I’ve done“.
Lizanec denies allegations he murdered his 44-year-old wife before hiding her body in a cupboard and fleeing the scene.
Forensic analysis
The jury also heard DNA matching the accused was found on the handle of a bloodstained boxcutter knife, recovered by police from within a pile of clothes next to his wife’s dead body.
The clothing had been in front of the closed cupboard door, where Mrs Lizanec’s body was said to have been.
Jacqueline Sharp, a forensic scientist for the Scottish Police Authority, said a black sweatshirt found in the pile was “saturated” with blood on one sleeve.
A Wilson-branded red-and-black-handled Stanley knife with a 23mm blade was among the clothing.
Ms Sharp confirmed blood on the knife was analysed and found to be a match for the alleged murder victim.
She said it was “one billion times more likely to be from Mrs Lizanec than from another female.”
She added DNA samples taken from the handle of the knife matched the DNA from her husband.
Under cross-examination by solicitor advocate Iain Paterson, she confirmed only a partial profile match and “13,000 times more likely” to be from Lizanec than another male.
Allegations denied
Lizanec denies murdering his wife by striking her on the neck with a knife, having previously shown “malice and ill-will” towards her, on February 13 2021.
It is further alleged he hid her body inside a cupboard, cleaned blood off himself, changed his clothes and footwear and fled the scene.
He faces a further charge of engaging in an abusive course of behaviour against his wife between April 1 2019 and February 13 2021 at their then-homes in Chaise Road, Bridge of Earn, and Orchard Way, Inchture.
And it is alleged he behaved in a threatening or abusive way at his mum’s house in Balunie Street, Dundee, by barricading himself inside while armed with a knife on February 14.
The trial before Lord Fairley continues.
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