- A man who murdered and mutilated his wife could face life time prison sentence
- The 36-year-old killer repeatedly stabbed the mother and cut out her right eye
- The violence took place in front of their children who said he ‘slaughtered’ her
- Prosecutors claim the woman was murdered after opposing travel to Middle East
- The defence argued that he had been in a drug-induced psychosis from ice use
A man who mutilated and murdered his wife in front of their children before dumping her body could face life behind bars.
The 36-year-old killer, who cannot be named to protect his children’s identities, has pleaded guilty to murder with lawyers presenting their final submission on the case in the Melbourne Supreme Court on Monday.
Prosecutors argued he should receive ‘a life term without parole’, with the children having said their father ‘slaughtered’ the woman, the Herald Sun reports.
Prosecutors presenting their final submission on the case in the Melbourne Supreme Court (pictured) on Monday argued he should receive ‘a life term without parole’
The man reportedly repeatedly stabbed the mother, leaving her with lacerations to her torso, limbs and face, as well as cut off two of her fingers from her hand and removed her right eye.
After then dumping her body in a neighbouring suburb, he was said to have drive the children – who watched the horrific violence – to get pastries, according to The Age.
An autopsy revealed the 27-year-old died of blood loss and was covered in scars that were weeks and months old, pointing to a pattern of violence.
Her body was discovered by a jogger and had been wrapped in a quilt, but was unable to be identified for several weeks.
The man was said to be an aspiring jihadist and radicalised Muslim, with the prosecution arguing he had murdered his wife because she would not let him fight in the Middle East.
Prosecutors also argued the killer’s children had told stated they had been educated in jihad.
However, the defence’s lawyers argued that he had been in a drug-induced psychosis from using ice when he killed the 27-year-old.
‘We blame his mental state and it limits his moral culpability,’ the man’s lawyer Scott Johns said.
The man remains in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.