A man who stabbed his neighbour in the neck during a drunken attack has apologised to the victim’s family, a court has heard.
Sateki Siale, 26, was last month found guilty of murdering Kelly Ventigadoo, 45, after he died outside his flat in Sydney’s south west in October 2015.
Siale had allegedly consumed a bottle of bourbon and 17 beers before the incident ,Seven News reports.
Sateki Siale, 26, who was found guilty of murdering Kelly Ventigadoo (pictured) apologised to the man’s family in court Friday over the drunken attack
The New South Wales Supreme Court heard Friday that Siale had been drinking for six hours before the attack.
He admitted that alcohol had got him into trouble on numerous occasions, saying: ‘I’m never going to touch alcohol again.’
Siale also admitted to smashing a beer bottle on a brick fence before using it to fatally strike his neighbour.
Mr Ventigadoo’s parents witnessed the frenzied attack, which occurred after Siale had complained the trio was talking too loudly as he said goodbye to his partially deaf father.
Siale (pictured) admitted to smashing a beer bottle and using it to strike Mr Ventigadoo and had allegedly been drunk on a bottle of bourbon and 17 beers at the time of the incident
Mr Ventigadoo’s parents witnessed the frenzied attack, which occurred after Siale had complained the trio was talking too loudly as he said goodbye to his partially deaf father in October 2015
His mother Cynthia Ventigadoo, who saw her son bleed to death, said she still calls her son’s phone to hear his voice.
Fighting back tears at the sentencing hearing, she said she would always picture that ‘terrible night’ in her mind.
‘The man appeared out of nowhere and attacked him,’ Ms Ventigadoo said.
‘There was blood everywhere, even on myself.
She said she cried every night for her son and had ‘never expected our son to die in this way right in front of us.’
‘We miss him so much that I would ring his phone just so I could hear his voice.’
Cynthia Ventigadoo, the man’s mother, saw him bleed to death and told the court she still calls her son’s phone to hear his voice
Prosecutor Jose Crespo said Siale knew he became ‘aggressive and violent’ when he drank and that he had an ‘intention to kill’ Mr Ventigadoo (pictured) after seeing the damage he made with his first strike
Siale apologised to his victim’s family and friends in court, saying he did not ‘expect forgiveness.’
‘I know he’s left a big dent in your hearts,’ Siale said.
‘I just want to say I’m sorry… I don’t know what else I can do.’
Prosecutor Jose Crespo said Siale knew he became ‘aggressive and violent’ when he drank alcohol.
He said Siale also had an ‘intention to kill’ when he inflicted the second blow on Mr Ventigadoo.
‘He must have been able to see the damage that was inflicted by the first blow,’ Mr Crespo said.
Siale is due to be sentenced on September 29.