A mother-of-three murdered by her ex-husband fled the family home with her children almost a decade earlier after he hit her with a hammer and stomped on her, a jury has been told.
Nelomie Perera, 43, was found dead in her kitchen in December 2022 after Dinush Kurera allegedly murdered her in what prosecutors said was a “sustained, brutal and vicious attack” using an axe and kitchen knife.
The 47-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to murder and assaulting his 17-year-old son.
Kurera admitted killing his wife but claimed he did it to save his own life, his lawyers told a Victorian Supreme Court jury on Wednesday.
“He grabbed her by the knife, in his murderous rage, and fought back and the deceased was killed,” said defence lawyer John Desmond.
“Rage met rage.”
Ms Perera was found in a pool of blood with 35 separate wounds, after Kurera allegedly killed her in front of her children in December 2022.
Kurera, who was evaluated by paramedics and taken to hospital, had no signs of physical injury, said KC prosecutor Mark Gibson.
Mr Gibson alleged Kurera was acting out of a “deep hatred” for Perera when he killed her after she told him she wanted a divorce and he discovered she was seeing other people.
Dinush Kurera (pictured left) admits killing his wife but claims it was in self-defense
Prosecutor Mark Gibson alleged that Kurera acted out of a “deep hatred” for Nelomie Perera when he killed her after she told him she wanted a divorce and he discovered she was seeing other people.
She said Ms Perera discovered Kurera was cheating on her while she was on a trip to Sri Lanka and ended their marriage over the phone.
She told him she could no longer stay at the family home, arranged for a storage unit where she moved his belongings and was allegedly fearful of his return to Melbourne, Gibson said.
About two days after flying home, on Dec. 3, 2022, Gibson said Kurera purchased a 12-inch crowbar and a fiberglass axe.
That afternoon, Kurera drove to the family home in Sandhurst, south-east of Melbourne, and used the crowbar to break through the fence while wearing dark clothing and gloves.
“Mr. Kurera, under cover of darkness, approached Nelomie, taking her by surprise as she was about to smoke a cigarette in the backyard,” Gibson said Tuesday.
He alleged that Kurera hit his wife over the head with an axe, which Desmond Kurera denies, and his two teenage children ran away after their mother screamed.
The family then moved into the living room, where the estranged couple argued before Mr Gibson claimed Kurera hit Ms Perera again with the axe, which Kurera also denies.
His 17-year-old son tried to run for help when Mr Gibson alleged Kurera chased him and hit him with the axe, which the defendant denies.
Mr Gibson alleged that Kurera, Ms Perera and their 16-year-old daughter then went into the kitchen, where he grabbed a 30cm-long kitchen knife and stabbed her.
But Mr Desmond said this was “a difficult question” for the jury to decide as Kurera claims Ms Perera attacked him with the knife.
“Nelomie took the opportunity when it presented itself to grab the kitchen knife and lunged at the defendant in a wild rage, violently brandishing this large kitchen knife at the defendant, attempting to kill him,” he said.
“He did what anyone would do and had the right to do in those circumstances: he defended himself.”
Ms Perera’s sister Minoli gave evidence on Wednesday afternoon, describing an alleged history of violence perpetrated by Kurera.
The jury was told Ms Perera fled to her parents’ home with her three children in 2013 after Kurera allegedly hit her with a hammer and stomped on her.
“He had bruises on his face and was having trouble walking,” Minoli said.
“She told me she couldn’t leave (Kurera) because of the children.”
She said that when Ms Perera discovered her husband cheating on her with a woman in Sri Lanka, he denied it and said “it was all in his head”.
The trial continues.
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