A Sydney man is on trial for allegedly murdering a woman he was romantically involved with and then bringing his own mother to the scene to help move her body, prosecutors told a court this week.
Paul Jason Sultana, 34, is accused of killing 28-year-old Dayna Isaac, a mother of two, on January 18, 2023, in her St. Marys apartment, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Isaac was found strangled with two cords wrapped around her neck, a broken nose, and evidence of sexual penetration, The Daily Telegraph reported. Authorities believe she was killed amid growing tensions in her relationship with Sultana, who had been a longtime friend before the two became more intimate.
Despite pleading not guilty, Sultana is alleged to have attempted to enlist multiple people to help move Isaac’s body—including a friend and his brother—before turning to his mother, according to Crown Prosecutor Yvette Prowse.
“He picked up his mother in Dayna’s car, repeatedly telling her ‘It’s bad, it’s bad,’ without explaining further,” Prowse told the NSW Supreme Court on Monday, July 14. When they arrived at Isaac’s apartment and his mother saw the body, she immediately left the scene and reported what she saw to police, according to The Daily Telegraph.
After his mother fled, Sultana allegedly drove Isaac’s car to a nearby area, set it on fire, then biked home and destroyed additional evidence in his backyard, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
He also allegedly lied to Isaac’s father when contacted about her whereabouts and sent a message to his brother saying he expected to be arrested. When authorities later located him, Sultana denied any involvement in the murder.
Three women are expected to testify during the trial, accusing Sultana of past physical and verbal abuse, the Herald reported. Prosecutor Prowse said the testimonies suggest Sultana had a “pattern of responding violently when feeling rejected or when a relationship is ending.”
Sultana’s defense lawyer, Gregory Woods, maintained his client’s innocence, arguing that someone else could have been at the apartment during the time of the murder. He claimed Sultana only panicked because of his troubled romantic past and feared being falsely blamed due to previous accusations from ex-partners.
“This is consistent with a man who believed he might be targeted by police—not because he killed Dayna, but because of past allegations,” Woods argued.
Still, prosecutors say there is DNA evidence connecting Sultana to the crime scene. A neighbor reported hearing screaming and banging on the day of the murder, followed by silence. The same neighbor allegedly saw a man leave and return with an older woman.
Sultana also allegedly confessed to the killing while in custody, telling someone that he had planned to tie Isaac up and “make her regret” crossing him—but ended up killing her instead.
The trial remains ongoing.
