A bodybuilder who brutally murdered his partner in front of their young daughter has called for his sentence to be reduced, sparking outrage from his friends and loved ones.
Sven Lindemann was recently jailed for 31 years, with a non-parole period of 25, for the frenzied stabbing with six knives of his partner Monique Lezsak, 39, after she tried to end their relationship.
Lindemann brutally stabbed his ex-partner 17 times in the head, neck and chest at their home in Endeavour Hills, south-east Melbourne, in May last year.
He later pleaded guilty to murdering his partner, as well as recklessly injuring his 10-year-old daughter, who was found covered in her mother’s blood after intervening in the horrific attack.
Two months after the verdict, Lindemann has formally lodged his appeal and it is expected to be heard next year.
Ms Lezsak’s friend Jacqueline Schwarcz admitted to Nine News she “laughed” when she first heard the news because she thought it was a joke.
She also recalled the devastating impact this had on the lives of those who knew and loved Ms Lezsak.
“Without sounding too dramatic, this has ruined our lives, things have changed overnight,” Schwarcz said.
“I can’t even understand how a human being can be connected like that.”
Sven Lindemann pleaded guilty to the murder of his partner Monique Lezsak (pictured)
Mrs Schwarcz addressed this harsh message to Lindemann, who has already been behind bars for a year.
“We know you’re not remorseful, we know you have no regrets, and that’s fine, we’ll see how it goes,” he said.
‘Given that he is a narcissist, I wouldn’t be surprised if these (his appeals) are just actions to keep him in the spotlight.
Although Lindemann avoided the maximum sentence of life in prison, Judge Elizabeth Hollingworth said Lindemann had committed a “brutal and frenzied attack” and added that domestic homicide was “not a less serious category of murder because of the pre-existing relationship.”
She said it was “pure luck” that her daughter was not seriously injured, adding that Lindemann failed in his duty as a stepfather to protect the girl and her twin brother from harm by subjecting them to the ordeal.
Judge Hollingworth said Lindemann had committed a “rational act” which was motivated by jealousy and an “unwillingness to allow his partner to move on with her life”.
She noted his “hypocrisy and sense of entitlement” which made him “enraged” at the idea that Ms Lezsak “might decide to leave him and start a relationship with someone she had recently met”.
This despite the fact that he had previously cheated on his ex-wife.
In May, Sven Lindemann (pictured) was sentenced to 31 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 25 years, for the frenzied stabbing with six knives of his partner Monique Lezsak, 39. He is appealing the sentence.
However, Judge Hollingworth accepted there was “no evidence” his attack was premeditated and accepted it was a relatively spontaneous act.
Judge Hollingworth also acknowledged the “bravery” of Ms Lezsak’s young daughter and praised her attempts to save her mother.
“We hope that when he grows up, he will understand that there was nothing more he could have done to save his mother, who would have been very proud of his courage and determination,” she said.
Before adjourning the case for sentencing, Judge Hollingworth said Lindemann had committed the “terrible” act after a day of “fury”.
“He was so angry that he dragged her around the house, grabbed six different knives and managed to break two of them in the process,” she said.
“He was not intimidated by a 10-year-old girl who tried to stop him… He was out of control, ferocious and determined to kill her.”
Judge Hollingworth also reprimanded the bodybuilder for crying in court and demanded he “stop the crocodile tears.”
“It’s not convincing at all. It’s a bit late for him to pretend he’s sorry,” he said.
“The evidence shows the opposite. He continues to maintain that she ruined his life, but he does not accept that he killed her and ruined his own life.”
Given the time already served, Lindemann will be eligible for parole in 2048.
