A Gold Coast man on trial for his estranged wife’s murder tried to hire a hitman and discussed throwing her off a cliff, a court has heard.

August 23, 2019

A Gold Coast man accused of murdering his wife tried to hire a Filipino hitman and discussed throwing her off a cliff, a court has heard.

Novy Chardon, 34, went missing on February 6, 2013, amid a divorce dispute with her 71-year-old husband, John William Chardon.

Her body has never been found and more than six years later Chardon is fighting a murder charge.

On Friday, Brisbane Supreme Court was told by a witness, Marshall Bari Aguilor, that during a meeting in the Philippines in early 2012 Chardon asked him to kill Ms Chardon.

“He told me she was neglectful with the children and she had a boyfriend,” Mr Aguilor said.

Chardon had also complained that his wife was only interested in money and wanted half of everything.

The court heard Chardon told Mr Aguilor if he couldn’t carry out the murder personally he should find someone to who could.

“He said, ‘If you can find someone I will pay US ten thousand dollars’,” Mr Aguilor said.

Chardon planned to lure his wife to the Philippines, where she was to be killed, and they discussed throwing her off a cliff and hiding her body in a cave, he said.

Mr Aguilor said Chardon asked him to buy a gun and asked about a silencer.

Crown prosecutor Mark Green showed the court a log of money transfers from Chardon to Mr Aguilor worth tens of thousands of Philippine pesos throughout 2012.

Some of the money was to buy the gun, some to pay Mr Aguilor and some for students Chardon was supporting, Mr Aguilor said.

The court heard Chardon expected “payback” for the donations.

“He said he doesn’t mind about helping, giving them the best that he can give … ‘but (when) I’m in the Philippines, I want my favour, I want to have sex with them’,” Mr Aguilor said.

“He said, ‘They shouldn’t be fussy, I want to take them to bed’.”

“If possible, (they) should be a virgin,” Mr Aguilor said.

The trial continues.