A 90-year-old woman who was allegedly stabbed 19 times in her Bondi Beach home has been remembered as a gentle woman devoted to her Jewish faith.
Valentina Spivak was found with wounds to her throat and torso at her unit on Chambers Avenue at about 5.15pm on Saturday. Despite attempts to save her, she died at the scene.
Her grandson, 47-year-old Sergei Mitnik, was arrested at the property and charged with domestic violence-related murder.
Mitnik appeared in court on Sunday, where his lawyer raised concerns about his mental health and said the weight-loss medication Ozempic had affected him.
The court heard he had been taking the drug weekly for more than two months and had cancelled an appointment with a psychologist last month. His lawyer sought to have him transferred to a mental health facility for an early assessment.
Police opposed the transfer but did not object to Mitnik being assessed by a psychologist. No application for bail was made and bail was formally refused.
Mitnik is due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.
Neighbours remember ‘nice, quiet woman’
Detective Superintendent Jodi Radmore said there was no known history of domestic violence between Mitnik and his grandmother, although he had a domestic violence history involving another person.
Neighbours described Ms Spivak as quiet and gentle. Caroline Engesser said she would hear the elderly woman listening to old Russian opera from the hallway.
Ms Engesser said Ms Spivak was cared for by her daughter and that she rarely saw male visitors at the unit. “She seemed pretty nice,” she said.
Another neighbour, George Clifton, said there was “nothing bad to say about her, to be honest”, describing her as a “nice, quiet woman”.
Police have seized a number of items from the Bondi Beach unit for further examination as the investigation continues.
Detective Superintendent Radmore said the alleged killing had been devastating for Ms Spivak’s family and the wider community.
“One alleged murder is too many … we just have to work together to do better,” she said.
