In early January 1996, his wife moves into her parent's home to decide whether to stay with Edwards or the man she is having an affair with.

Ms Barbagallo claims Edwards showed up unannounced on Australia Day 1996, and asked his wife to watch the fireworks with him.

She said he felt rejected when she declined his invitation.

Later that night Sarah Spiers is murdered.

Justice Hall questioned whether a rejection to attend the Australia Day fireworks would warrant a reaction of emotional turmoil.

"A refusal to go with someone to fireworks doesn't seem in itself something that would cause upset, unless it's indicative of something else, unless it's indicative of rejection as a whole," he said.

In June 1996, his first wife tells the man she is having an affair with that they are having a baby.

That same month, Jane Rimmer is murdered.

In March 1997, when Ciara Glennon is murdered, the state says this event occurred around 10 days after Edwards' and his first wife sold their marital home, signalling the "finality" of their relationship.

Ms Barbagallo claims Edwards' murdered the three women after "infidelity or some event" occurring on each occassion with his first wife, which created a spike in emotional upset.