Borce Ristevski's daughter Sarah was 'blindsided' by his sudden guilty plea to the manslaughter of her mother, Karen, after close to three years of his lies.
Daily Mail Australia understands the couple's only daughter, Sarah, was surprised by the sudden guilty plea and hadn't expected it.
In the latest twist in the long-running case, Borce sensationally pleaded guilty to the Melbourne shop owner's killing on Wednesday afternoon.
Miss Ristevski was not present at the court during the pre-trial hearing. She wasn't allowed to, as she had been listed as a prosecution witness in her father's trial.
Since her mum's disappearance, Sarah has had to endure the loss of one parent, the callous betrayal of her father, and the public's macabre fascination with the case.
Borce Ristevski (right) has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter death of his wife Karen (centre), bringing the depth of his betrayal of his wife and daughter Sarah (left) into stark relief
Ristevski was a pallbearer at the funeral of his wife - who he has now confessed killing
Sarah Ristevski led the procession at her mother's funeral, holding a framed picture of her shop owner and fashion designer mum
Sources with knowledge of the situation '(Miss Ristevski) did not' anticipate the plea.
Borce's sudden confession came after a Victorian Supreme Court judge ruled that crucial prosecution evidence of Borce's 'murderous intent' was inadmissible.
Crown prosecutors hinged their murder charge on evidence over Borce's behaviour after Karen's disappearance in mid-2016.
Karen's body, found wedged between two logs in a national park months after she vanished, was too badly decomposed for there to be a conclusive cause of death.
Borce's manslaughter plea means he will avoid a life sentence, the maximum penalty for a murder charge.
His trial was supposed to start today.
The plea is the beginning of the end of the circus surrounding the Ristevski family, which Sarah has suffered the most.
In a haze after her mother's disappearance, Sarah had to stand by her father during a public appeal for information in mid-2016.
It was then that the first questions were bluntly raised about Borce.
'Did you kill Karen, Borce?' a TV reporter asked the family patriarch. Borce did not answer.
Television reporter Cameron Baud boldly asked Borce Ristevski if he had killed Karen, bringing the media conference to a tearful end
The media conference came to a swift, teary end. In private, he blamed police for trying to 'pin' the crime on him, a court heard.
After nine agonising months of mystery, Sarah's mother's body was found at the Mount Macedon Regional Park in February 2017.
She mourned her mother at a funeral service attended by her father, listening as the crowd were regaled with tributes about the 'close' family unit.
Borce acted as pallbearer and buried Karen at a cemetery in Williamstown, near one of the couple's favourite spots.
The heat on Mr Ristevski began to escalate as time went by. He was hounded by the press.
His own lawyer described him as the 'prime suspect' in Karen's killing. He was convicted in the most brutal court - that of public opinion.
Borce was charged by police in December 2017.
This is the site where Karen Ristevski's body was found by horticulturalists in early 2017
