He has been described as controlling, jealous, dominating and abusive.
But the girlfriend of convicted murderer Simon Gittany says he is "the best boyfriend she has ever had".
More than two months after Gittany was found guilty of murdering his fiancee Lisa Cecilia Harnum by throwing her off their high-rise balcony in Sydney in July 2011, public interest in his case hasn't waned.
Well before the Supreme Court in Darlinghurst opened its doors to his sentence hearing yesterday, media and court enthusiasts lined up outside trading tales about the case.
Then, Gittany's much-photographed girlfriend Rachelle Louise caused a frenzy of camera flashes when she arrived leading a silent demonstration of family and supporters. Without uttering a word, Louise pointed to placards that questioned key evidence, including: "How do you render Some1 (sic) unconscious in less than 65 sec without any sign of trauma to the body."
