A Melbourne father was sentenced to spend at least 19 years in prison after he murdered his wife and daughter.
He was not allowed to be identified to protect his daughter, who tried to keep her mother and sister safe.
As he stabbed his wife, his daughter followed her as she ran toward a nearby neighbor’s home to get help.
The girl, who was almost 12 years old at that time, tried to go back inside the house to check on her sister.
However, her father saw her and chased her down the driveway. He then shouted at her while he was swinging a knife in the air.
The girl then called for help and went to a nearby home. In a statement, the girl said that her father’s actions were wrong and that she could not do anything to save her sister or mother.
The man claimed that he was under the influence of drugs when he committed the violent act.
He later admitted that he was angry because his wife tried to stop his actions. After his daughter ran away, he returned to his yard and started attacking his wife again. He then went back to the neighbor’s home and stabbed his wife again.
The police arrived and took the man into custody. They found his wife, who was 38 years old, with multiple stab wounds.
She was declared dead at the scene. The girl, who was six years old at that time and was in the front room, suffered two stab wounds on her back.
The woman was taken to a hospital, where she underwent surgery. She later died.
The man, who was charged with two counts of murder, pleaded guilty to his crimes. His wife had called the police to report his drug use earlier in the day. During his interrogation, the police noted that he was a polite and pleasant person.
According to paramedics, the man was just anxious and wanted to sleep.
The judge who sentenced him noted that he was not motivated by any ill-will toward his family. He was simply trying to protect them from an evil force he believed in.
In April 2021, the man was taken to a hospital after he exhibited increasingly erratic behavior due to his use of drugs.
He was later diagnosed with a drug-induced psychosis. He then apologized to the court and his family for his actions.
In a letter written to the girl, the man apologized for what he had done to her and her mother. He also asked for forgiveness.
His lawyer had urged the court to give him a sentence that would allow him to live out his life outside of jail. He stated that his greatest punishment would be the loss of his family.