NORFOLK ISLAND - Janelle Patton was "on top of the world" and loving Norfolk Island the day before she died, her father has told the territory's Supreme Court.
Ron Patton today gave evidence at the trial of Glenn McNeill, the New Zealand chef accused of killing Ms Pattonon March 31, 2002.
McNeill, 29, from Nelson, has pleaded not guilty to murdering the Sydney woman, whose body was found with numerous cuts and stab wounds at an island picnic spot.
Mr Patton was the first witness called at the trial, telling the court he and his wife, Carol, had arrived on Norfolk Island to visit their daughter on Saturday, March 30.
She had been living and working on the island since October 1999, he said.
"She was happy, she was excited to see us," Mr Patton said.
"She had planned the week for us. She had booked outings for us."
The jury was shown photographs, including pictures of 29-year-old Ms Patton, taken during the family's tour of the island that Saturday.
Mr Patton grew emotional as he looked over the holiday snaps.
Asked by prosecutor Dan Howard, about his daughter's health and wellbeing at the time, Mr Patton said: "I believe she was on top of the world."
"She was loving Norfolk Island and the job she was doing, and she was happy we were there," he said.
"So all of those things combined, she was on top of the world."
Mr Patton told the court that his daughter was going for a walk and was due to meet them between 1pm and 2pm on March 31, Easter Sunday, but did not turn up.
Attempts to contact her on the phone were unsuccessful, he said.
Mr Patton said that, following a "torrential" rainstorm that afternoon, he and his wife drove to their daughter's flat in Allendale Drive, where her car was parked with the window rolled down.
The door to her flat was open and the curtains were blowing in the breeze, Mr Patton said.
"Janelle obviously wasn't there," he told the court.
Mr Patton said later that day, "we were informed that we should go down to the police station".
