Man sentenced to 30 years jail for brutal murder of his colleague in 2023

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The ACT Supreme Court has sentenced a Sri Lankan national to 30 years in jail for the brutal murder of his colleague at Canberra’s Zoo and Aquarium two years ago. Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said the crime was motivated by a pathological infatuation after the victim refused the man's advances.

Transcript

00:00The call to triple zero was horrifying as a construction worker at the zoo told the operator,

00:08we just saw someone get murdered. Jude Widjasinger attacked Shuang Chodun as he arrived at the zoo's

00:15kitchen where they both worked, pushing her into a stall room. The Chief Justice said Ms Chodun

00:22must have spent her final moments in abject terror. He trapped her in a locked room where

00:28she couldn't protect herself. She must have known she was about to die. Ms Chodun was stabbed 14

00:35times, those who tried to help unable to reach her through the locked door. Widjasinger pleaded

00:42guilty earlier this year. Chief Justice McCallum played down the influence of his mental health

00:48issues, finding he had planned the murder. He was motivated to kill a woman because he couldn't

00:54have her for himself. It was a case of murderous violence at the hands of a jealous man.

01:01The Chief Justice said one of the most concerning aspects of the case was his lack of insight,

01:07revealed in an apology letter in which he said,

01:10Dear Shuang, you are loved. I'm sorry for what happened. I really am. I pray for you every day.

01:17Here at the zoo, the events have left deep scars. Chief Justice McCallum described the offence

01:25as of the utmost gravity, but she stopped short of imposing a life sentence, partly because of

01:32the guilty plea. Widjasinger has been in custody since the murder and won't be eligible for parole until

01:392043.

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