- Dalibor ‘Dale’ Pantic, 38, was last seen five years ago.
- A companion later admitted to killing him, but the body was never found.
The devastated daughters of a man missing for more than five years pleaded with his killer to finally give them answers during an emotional court hearing.
Dalibor ‘Dale’ Pantic, 38, was last seen at a farm in Perry Bridge, in Gippsland, Victoria, on the night of April 10, 2019.
Her disappearance sparked a complex police investigation that led to a friend, Sam Gordon Blake, being charged with causing her death two years later.
On Wednesday, Blake, 35, returned to the Supreme Court of Victoria for a pre-sentence hearing after pleading guilty to one count of manslaughter.
The devastated daughters of Dale Pantic, missing for more than five years, have pleaded with his killer to finally give them answers during an emotional court hearing.
Dalibor ‘Dale’ Pantic, 38, was last seen at a farm in Perry Bridge on the night of April 10, 2019.
Pantic’s family members described Blake as “evil” and a “monster.”
The court was told Pantic had been murdered when an argument escalated and Blake hit him over the head with a block of wood.
Prosecutor Jordan Johnston said Blake had lured Pantic to a property with the intention of taking his car as payment for a debt.
In victim impact statements, members of Mr Pantic’s family described Blake as “evil” and a “monster”, and questioned how someone they had let into their lives could kill a friend.
Blake sat in the dock with his eyes closed as Dalibor’s father, Jovan Pantic, described the torture of losing his son five years ago.
‘Since your disappearance our lives have stopped. I don’t know how to go on without you, my son,’ he said.
‘You let this man into our lives, into our homes, and look what he did… I can’t believe you trusted him.
‘Sam, I need to know where my son is, please tell me where he is.’
COURT – INDULGING MURDER
The body of Sale man Dalibor Pantic has still never been found.
Two of Pantic’s daughters took the stand to say their lives had been shattered by the loss of their beloved father and best friend.
His sister Bozina urged Blake to tell them where the body is, saying he won’t be able to find peace until he is buried.
“Sam, please have mercy on me, my parents, and Dalibor’s children and let us know where he is,” she said.
The court was told Blake had written a letter of regret and a letter describing what he claimed happened on April 10.
COURT – INDULGING MURDER
He described his actions as “selfish, disgusting and disgraceful” and said he had dumped Pantic’s body in the River Avon, near Sale.
Blake’s lawyer, Glenn Casement, urged Judge John Champion to find that his version of events was “genuine” and reflected genuine remorse and an effort to cooperate.
The court was told there had been nine floods on the River Avon since the murder and, despite “very significant” efforts by police over the years, no trace of Mr Pantic has been found.
Johnston argued that Blake’s letter was self-serving and written knowing there was little chance of recovering the remains.
Justice Champion adjourned sentencing to a later date.