Justice McCallum described his actions as “murderous violence” by a jealous man, and said the fact that the offence was premeditated increased the seriousness of the crime.<\/p>\n
“He was motivated to kill a woman because he couldn’t have her for himself,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Such violence against women is a scourge.”<\/p>\n
Stabbing after romantic advances rejected<\/p>\n
Wijesinghe and Ms Choden both worked as chefs in the kitchen at the zoo’s Jamala Wildlife Lodge for more than a year before he killed her.<\/p>\n
The court heard Wijesinghe developed a romantic interest in Ms Choden in early 2023, and told a psychiatrist he fell in love with her but “felt constrained because he was her supervisor”.<\/p>\n
But, in June 2023, Wijesinghe sent Ms Choden a message saying she had the “prettiest name in the world”.<\/p>\n
When he asked her out for dinner, she declined.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Wijesinghe murdered Tshewang Choden after trapping her in a locked kitchen storeroom at the National Zoo and Aquarium. (Supplied: National Zoo and Aquarium)<\/p>\n
Six months later, on December 18, a construction worker heard screams coming from the kitchen.<\/p>\n
He and other staff members tried to get into the storeroom but could not get to Ms Choden because the door was locked.<\/p>\n
Wijesinghe eventually opened the door and was seen covered in blood and holding a knife.<\/p>\n
Ms Choden was found in the storeroom. She had been stabbed 14 times.<\/p>\n
Chief Justice McCallum said Wijesinghe’s attack was one of “sustained brutality”.<\/p>\n
“Undoubtedly Ms Choden spent her last moments in pain and abject terror,” she said.<\/p>\n
“He trapped her in a locked room where she couldn’t protect herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“She must have known she was about to die.<\/p>\n
“He locked the room from the inside so no one could come to her assistance.”<\/p>\n
Wijesinghe has ‘ongoing fixation’ with victim<\/p>\n
Wijesinghe was set to face trial<\/a>, but pleaded guilty to murder in July this year<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chief Justice Lucy McCallum\u00a0described Wijesinghe’s actions as “murderous violence” committed out of jealously. (ABC News: Callum Flinn)<\/p>\n A psychiatric report to the court said Wijesinghe had been in the midst of a major depressive episode at the time, which had psychotic features, which reduced his moral culpability.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n