Former girlfriend of the accused testifies at murder trial

The former girlfriend of Boris Panovski testified about some peculiar activity by the accused in the days surrounding the shooting death of a Toronto-area businessman.

The court heard that Panovski, a one-time dog breeder, was involved in a relationship with Jessica Garcia from June 2011 until the time he was arrested in the fall of 2014.

The 54-year-old Garcia testified that she saw changes in how the accused acted in the days around the shooting death of Donato Frigo.

Frigo, a dog owner, was at the Hullet Marsh, north of Clinton, for a dog competition on the afternoon of Sept. 13, 2014 when he was shot to death and his wife was injured.

Garcia testified that days earlier, Panovski got the windows of his Toyota tinted and he changed his custom license plates from ‘2 NAT CH,’ saying, “He (Panovski) said he just wanted to change it.”

On the night of the shooting, she said that Panovski came to visit her at her apartment, “He said check the time and if someone asks you what time I’m here. I said, ‘Why?’ He didn’t say anything.”

In 2018 after a trial in Goderich, Panovski was found guilty of first-degree murder. However, a retrial was ordered last spring and the case was moved to St. Thomas.

Once again, Panovski has pleaded not guilty.

Later in the day, the court heard that within 48 hours of the shooting death, the accused booked a flight overseas.

Garcia testified, “He (Panovski) said he would go back to Macedonia…I got shocked, I’m not expecting that.”

She said at the same time, the accused packed up a gun box and dropped it off to a friend.

Garcia said a short while later while watching the news, she learned of a Canada-wide warrant out for the arrest of her former boyfriend. She immediately went to police.

The Crown’s case is continuing.