The murder of Sydney woman Lisa Harnum highlights how controlling behaviour can be just as dangerous as physical domestic violence, a domestic violence body says.
Simon Gittany was found guilty on Wednesday of murdering Ms Harnum, his fiancee, by throwing her off their 15th floor Sydney balcony in 2011.
The trial had heard Gittany, 40, controlled Ms Harnum, including monitoring her text messages and setting up CCTV inside his unit.
Domestic Violence NSW chief executive officer Tracy Howe said the case highlighted how non-physical abuse was a silent killer in domestic violence.
She said controlling behaviour, monitoring a partner's email and phone messages was an abuse of power.
"Violence that is non-physical can be just as dangerous, as this tragic case has highlighted," she said in a statement.
She said most people's perceptions of abusive relationships focused on physical abuse.
"But very often it's a case of emotional, mental or psychological abuse, where one partner is exerting possessive control over the other," Ms Howe said.
"This can be the case for years before any violence becomes apparent."
In delivering her verdict on Wednesday in the Supreme Court, Justice Lucy McCallum said Gittany went into a rage when he discovered Ms Harnum was planning to leave him.
Ms Howe used the case to appeal for the community to push through the "other people's business" block that stops people from intervening in abusive relationships.
"It's our fear of rejection from the victim that does it, as much as fear of repercussions from an abuser," she said.
"If a woman has been disclosing to you that she is fearful and a victim of abuse, and then for some reason ... you are told to mind your own business, you need to hold fast, maintain that connection and don't assume the problem has disappeared."
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