Death of Lisa Harnum
| Date | July 30, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Location | Apartment 1503, Hyde Building, 157 Liverpool Street, Sydney, Australia |
| Deaths | Lisa Cecilia Harnum |
On July 30, 2011, Canadian woman Lisa Cecilia Harnum fell to her death from the fifteenth storey balcony of her apartment in Sydney, Australia. At the time of her death, Harnum resided in Apartment 1503 of the Hyde Building in Sydney's central business district with her fiancé, Simon Gittany. CCTV footage of the hallway outside the apartment depicts a distressed Harnum attempting to leave the apartment, before Gittany places a hand over her mouth and takes her back inside. Harnum fell to her death 69 seconds later, at 9:45 am.[1]
On November 27, 2013, Justice Lucy McCallum of the Supreme Court of New South Wales found Gittany guilty of Harnum’s murder.[2] He is to be sentenced on February 11, 2014.[3] Gittany maintains his innocence, alleging that in the midst of an argument about Harnum’s wish to leave him and return to Canada, she climbed over the balcony, slipped and fell to her death.[2]
Background
Lisa Cecilia Harnum (c. 1981 – July 30, 2011) was born and raised in Canada with her elder brother Jason by their mother, Joan. Growing up, Harnum enjoyed dancing and studied ballet. She was bullied at school, developing depression. She was diagnosed with the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia, and at eighteen was hospitalised at Toronto General Hospital as a result of her illnesses. In her early twenties, Harnum left Canada to pursue a job offer in Sydney, Australia.[4]
- ↑ Dale, Amy (October 22, 2013). "Court told Lisa Harnum's fiance Simon Gittany was 'domineering and abusive' - her final moments caught on CCTV". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, Australia: News Corp Australia. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bibby, Paul; Partridge, Emma (November 27, 2013). "Simon Gittany guilty of murdering fiancee Lisa Harnum". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia: Fairfax Media. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
- ↑ Dale, Amy (February 7, 2014). "Simon Gittany facing 20 years' jail for the 'cold and calculating' murder of fiancee Lisa Harnum". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, Australia: News Corp Australia. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
- ↑ Coulthart, Ross; Pennells, Steve (Reporters); Farrow, Nick; Shivaraman, Naomi; Andrews, Richard (Producers) (February 9, 2014). Simon Gittany's secret life. Sunday Night. Seven Network.
