Joanne Howell could picture herself growing old with Paul Charlton, but friends of the kind-hearted Melbourne woman say she could also imagine him putting a knife in her back.
She was a sweet and conservative singer who had performed on Countdown in the 1970s and had a small but close network of friends.
Ms Howell, 51, was assaulted and strangled in her home at Hughesdale, in Melbourne's southeast in April 2007.
On Friday, her former partner Paul Charlton, was ordered to stand trial for her murder.
The 66-year-old was arrested in Casterton, in western Victoria, in January last year.
He has pleaded not guilty.
During days of hearings in Melbourne Magistrates Court this week, friends of Ms Howell said they're certain Charlton is her killer.
Toni Perriman said Ms Howell, one of her best friends, told her two days before she died that she was going to break up with Charlton.
"She would say: 'One minute I can see us growing old together, and the next I can imagine him putting a knife in my back'," Ms Perriman said.
"I would swear on my kids' heart that no one else was responsible for Joanne's death other than Paul Charlton."
Another friend, Claire Bamber, said she had always believed it was Charlton.
No one had issues with Ms Howell or would want to hurt her, she said.
"He was the only one there ... I believe they were at home together that evening," she said.
"We thought Paul was (responsible), we all did. At that point in time ... it was really cold and raining - we couldn't see how anyone else would have come in and murdered her."
Ms Howell and Charlton had a heated argument when they went to visit her friend Howard Williams in Horsham three months before her death, he said.
She had thrown a hamburger at Charlton.
"Paul then said to me: 'I can't take this any longer, I'm gonna f***ing kill her'," Mr Williams said.
