EXCLUSIVE
A woman whose husband punched her in the face during a cruise holiday has defended him as “a beacon of light in the darkness of my life” in a letter to a court.
The woman used a victim impact statement to describe her husband Tony Lilo as “the best husband I could wish for” despite him pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The attack, which a magistrate described as “a serious example of domestic violence”, took place in March last year while the couple were on board the Celebrity Eclipse on a two-week cruise between Australia and New Zealand.
Lilo had objected to the way his wife of two years was spending money on gifts for family and friends and then accused her of having an affair with another passenger.
A verbal argument in their cabin escalated until the two ended up pushing each other, and Lilo punched his wife in the face after she accepted his challenge to slap him.
Lilo then forced his wife to the floor and straddled her legs after she kicked him in the chest and he fell backwards onto a TV stand.
When it was over, Lilo said he was going to jump off the boat and told his wife that if she called security it would be “the last thing I would do.”
Daily Mail Australia has obtained a copy of the woman’s victim impact statement after it was submitted as part of Lilo’s case at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court.
A woman whose husband punched her in the face during an international cruise has defended him as “a beacon of light in the darkness of my life.” The woman used a victim impact statement to describe her husband Tony Lilo (above) as “the best husband I could ever wish for.”
In her letter to the presiding judge, the woman wrote that she did not see Lilo hit her and that she did not feel pain afterwards, although she had suffered an injury to her jaw.
“I didn’t feel any pain or discomfort unless I chewed,” he said.
“There were no bruises or external signs of injury other than some self-inflicted scratches.”
A statement of facts tendered for Lilo’s sentencing revealed the 39-year-old, from Guildford in Sydney’s west, had called his 48-year-old wife a “b***h”, “c***” and a “selfish c***”.
The same statement said Lilo put pressure on his wife’s neck while she was on the floor of the cabin, making it difficult for her to breathe, and drew blood from a mole.
The couple spent the final night of the cruise in separate cabins before the Celebrity Eclipse docked in Sydney and have been separated ever since due to a restraining order.
The woman, who lives in Seattle in the north-west of the United States, continues to support Lilo and played down the injuries she sustained in her victim impact statement to the court.
“Any psychological damage I experienced due to Tony’s conduct that night was extremely minimal,” she wrote.
“I have participated in various combat sports, including boxing, wrestling and sword fighting, for approximately 35 years. I have suffered much worse injuries during combat training.”
Lilo and his wife, who Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to identify, both have significant mental health issues and she says she has no clear memory of the assault.
“I’m not sure exactly how I was injured during the incident between Tony and I on the Celebrity Eclipse,” she wrote.
‘During this incident, I was in an agitated manic state and was experiencing hallucinations and flashbacks, so I am not entirely sure what happened that day.
“I didn’t see him hit me and I didn’t feel any pain after feeling something touch my cheek. It’s possible the injury was caused by other sources.”
Lilo has a prior domestic matter on his criminal record from 2013 and his wife’s biggest concern was that another conviction could prevent him from joining her in the US.
“I have suffered almost no psychological harm from Tony’s conduct and have been much more deeply affected by these court proceedings and being separated from my beloved husband,” she wrote.
Tony Lilo assaulted his wife while the couple were aboard the Celebrity Eclipse (above) on a two-week cruise between Australia and New Zealand in March last year.
‘Tony and I both suffer from significant mental health issues, and he has supported me through my worst days with tender care and understanding for nearly a decade.’
The court heard that a week before the couple embarked on the cruise, Lilo’s father, who suffered from dementia, had attempted to assault his wife.
The woman wrote that the traumatic event triggered “the worst mental health breakdown I have ever experienced in my life.”
“Tony was also deeply affected by this event,” he wrote.
‘Unfortunately, when we needed each other most, the (restraining order) placed on us prevented me from receiving the vital support that only Tony could provide.
“He’s the only person I feel really safe with. Tony has never hit me or threatened me before.
“This behavior is completely unbecoming of an individual. I am confident that this incident is a one-time reaction to extreme emotional distress and will never happen again.”
The woman had been ‘anxious and stressed about not knowing if Tony was okay’ during the nearly 18 months they had been on opposite sides of the world.
“Tony is the best husband I could ever wish for,” she said. “He’s incredibly thoughtful and considerate.”
An argument between Tony Lilo and his wife in their cabin on the Celebrity Eclipse escalated to him punching her in the face. A similar cabin is pictured
‘Tony supports me physically and emotionally, and even learned the skills necessary to provide me with the specialized medical care I need several times a week.
“He is truly a beacon of light in the darkness and my life is better in every way with him in it.”
Lilo’s lawyer, former Supreme Court Justice Greg James KC, told Justice Susan Horan on Tuesday that his client’s wife had made it clear she wanted to resume married life.
Mr James said Lilo had received counselling before and after the events on the boat and would continue to seek help through Relationships Australia.
Ms Horan said Lilo had shown remorse for her actions but said the community had an expectation that perpetrators of domestic violence would be punished.
“It cannot be said that this crime is of a trivial nature,” he said.
“It’s not just domestic violence, it’s a serious example of domestic violence.”
Ms Horan sentenced Lilo and ordered him to pay a 12-month good behaviour bond. She also imposed a 12-month gender-based violence order to protect his wife.