A killer who ambushed his defenceless wife and viciously stabbed her to death in front of their children made up a “hopeless” story to try and avoid prison time, a judge has said as she jailed him for 37 years.
Dinush Kurera, 47, blinked and looked straight ahead as Victorian Supreme Court Justice Amanda Fox sentenced him on the morning of 19 December.
There was a gasp in the courtroom filled with his victim’s loved ones as they learnt he would be eligible for parole after 30 years.
Kurera claimed he was acting in self-defence when he repeatedly stabbed his wife Nelomie Perera with an axe and knife at her Sandhurst home on 3 December, 2022.
But a jury rejected his story and in August found him guilty of murder after only three hours of deliberations.
Kurera was also convicted of assaulting his 17-year-old son during his murderous attack.
The 47-year-old had broken into Ms Perera’s backyard in breach of a court order by using a crowbar he had purchased earlier that day.
Dressed in all black, he waited for almost an hour in the garden before ambushing his estranged wife as she came outside for a smoke.
Kurera struck her head with a hatchet, and her screams alerted her 17-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter who came downstairs.
Kurera told his children he had poured petrol around the house and would set it alight if they tried to contact the police.
They tried to reason with him, but he flew into a rage when he learnt Ms Perera was seeing other men.
He hit her with the hatchet and his son tried to flee the house for help but Kurera turned on him, striking him multiple times to the head and leg.
Ms Perera pulled him off her son and Kurera resumed his attack on her, dragging her across the floor and striking her repeatedly with the hatchet.
His 16-year-old daughter tried to stop him but he grabbed a knife and stabbed Ms Perera in front of the girl.
Most of the 14-minute attack was captured on a personal safety watch Ms Perera was wearing, with her 20 screams for help played to the court at trial.
Justice Fox described the fatal attack as brutal and horrific.
“You were motivated by anger and saw everything in the prism of entitlement and ownership,” she said in her sentence.
“In your mind, Nelomie deserved to be killed for leaving you, excluding you from your house and seeing other men.”
Kurera gave evidence at trial, claiming he only went to the house to see his children and collect his medication.
He also said Ms Perera tried to stab him, although she sustained 35 separate injuries and Kurera was uninjured.
Justice Fox said Kurera’s claims were entirely ridiculous and clearly rejected by the jury.
“Your defence at trial never rose above hopeless,” she said.
“I am satisfied Nelomie never picked up a knife. She was unarmed and utterly defenceless.”
Both of Kurera’s children gave evidence at trial and described in victim impact statements how distressing the court process was.
Justice Fox said they had shown remarkable maturity and bravery, both in the face of Kurera’s violence and while on the witness stand.
“You displayed a callous and cruel disregard for your children,” she told Kurera.
“You still maintain they are not telling the truth when they most certainly are.”
The judge was weighing up a life sentence but ultimately found the crime was not so grave as to warrant a life term.
A gasp rang out as the 37-year sentence was handed down and Kurera’s son smiled as his father was led out of the court.
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