Arona Peniamina sentenced to life in jail for frenzied stabbing murder of wife Sandra Peniamina

The four children of a woman brutally slain by her husband in a jealous rage still wake up crying for their mother two years on from her murder, a court has been told. Today, the 38-year-old was sentenced by a Brisbane judge.

THE four children of a woman brutally slain by her husband in a jealous rage at Kippa-Ring wake crying for their mother two years on from her murder, a court has been told.

Arona Peniamina, 38, was today sentenced in the Brisbane Supreme Court to life behind bars after late yesterday being found guilty of the brutal March 2016 murder of his wife Sandra, 29.

Man guilty of murder after stabbing wife to death

Sandra Peniamina died in the driveway of her Kippa-Ring home after being repeatedly stabbed and hit in the head with a fence bollard.

Peniamina confessed to the killing by pleading guilty to manslaughter at the start of his trial more than a week ago but this plea was not accepted and he was convicted of murder.

Murder victim Sandra Peniamina

A jury on Monday took about three hours to find Peniamina had murdered his wife in deliberate frenzied attack two years ago.

Peniamina tried to argue throughout the trial he was provoked and believed his wife was having an affair.

In a victim impact statement read to the court by Sandra’s younger sister Carnetra Potter today, the woman said her sister’s four boys now live in New Zealand with their extended family and often wake crying for their mother.

Police at the scene of the murder in Kippa-Ring. Picture: Peter Wallis

“Since Sandy has been gone we have had endless nights with the boys crying and asking if she is OK,” she said.

“You have taken such a beautiful soul and left four boys without parents...

“... Sandy will miss these boys grow. She has already missed her youngest (child’s) first day of primary school, she has missed the boys play their first league games...

“Being able to hug the boys to sleep, console them when they are down will be the one thing we can do for Sandy... to look after them and hold them in the way Sandy would have done.”

In sentencing, Justice Walter Sofronoff said Peniamina’s anger had caused tragedy to two families -- his own and the family of his wife.

“The last six days have centred upon you and what you did and what you felt and why you did what you did,” he said.

“The time has now come to think about your victims.

“Sandra was only a young woman, she had many years of life to enjoy...

“You have stolen many years of life from her... You have stolen the joy she might have enjoyed.”

Peniamina was sentenced to life behind bars.

He will be eligible for parole in 2036 after already serving about two years on remand.