But friends of Nadia Cameron and her former partner Elie Issa had concerns about the relationship, saying Issa was a cruel and controlling man who often tried to belittle Ms Cameron.

An inquest into Ms Cameron’s murder and Issa’s subsequent suicide was heard in the Bathurst Coroner’s Court on Tuesday before Michael Allen.

In his opening address, Sergeant Paul Bush, advocate assisting the coroner, told the inquest how friends of the couple questioned the relationship.

Mr Issa’s friends questioned Ms Cameron’s motivation in pursuing the relationship while her friends said he played mind games with her. He would question where she had been and was very controlling.

The inquest heard Issa had previously tried to kill himself by taking six sleeping tablets and drinking half a bottle of scotch. Afterwards one friend, Natasha King, had advised Ms Cameron to stay away from him and Ms Cameron said at the time she had no intention of letting him back in her life. 

Ms Cameron’s stepsister Debbie Nolan said Issa would not allow her to see her friends.

“He would say things to belittle her and control her,” she said.

The inquest also heard Ms Cameron had stopped working at her friend Christine Le Fevre’s business, Bishop’s Court, when she began seeing Issa as he didn’t want Ms Cameron working anywhere other than at his cafe.

Ms Le Fevre also remembered a conversation she had with Ms Cameron in January 2013 when Ms Cameron had said she was worried that Issa had a gun.

Ms Le Fevre recalled saying something like “why would Elie need a gun?” and Ms Cameron told her Issa had said he had been broken into twice and had bought money home from the business and needed to have a gun.

Kevin Keogh, a colleague, told police Ms Cameron had said she felt like a trophy.

“He does not buy me anything or take me on holidays. He just wants me when it suits him,” she had said.

Ms Cameron had been worried she would be ostracised if she left Issa.