Sentencing begins for murderer Kristian Kovaleff after Parramatta stabbing

The calculated murderer who fatally stabbed a teenager at Parramatta could have been motivated by sexual sadism and feigned mental illness, a court has heard. Warning: Graphic content.

Sentencing for Kristian Kovaleff has started since he stabbed a 17-year-old girl at a Parramatta hotel more than two years ago. Picture: Julian Andrews

The sentencing for calculated murderer Kristian Kovaleff, who fatally stabbed a teenager at Parramatta just shy of her 18th birthday, has begun in the Supreme Court where the victim’s family expressed their pain since the brutal, unprovoked killing.

Kovaleff pleaded guilty to murder and wound with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after he killed the 17-year-old and stabbed her friend multiple times at the Meriton Apartments on December 18, 2020, when they were celebrating her birthday early.

Kovaleff, 21, stared vacantly through the victim impact statements read by the victim’s sisters during an emotion-charged day when family and friends of the student packed the courtroom and wept.

The court heard how Kovaleff was obsessed with US serial killer Ted Bundy and how he met the victim at a party just once before he killed her.

He conceded how he fantasised about killing the victim’s friend but did not go through with it when he tied her up at a Campbelltown motel a week before the homicide because he “didn’t have the guts” to murder her.

However, the Crown suggested it was because he wanted to murder both girls after the survivor told them about their plans to stay at the Parramatta hotel a week later.

Kristian Kovaleff stabbed the victim and the survivor. Picture: Facebook

He said he was angry on the night he checked the girls into the hotel because he “thought they were up for something. A threesome.’’

He denied the Crown’s suggestion that the stabbing and death sexually aroused him.

He fantasised about driving around with the survivor’s body in the boot of his car and told her but she thought it was a joke.

“I thought it would make me feel happy,’’ Kovaleff said.

Instead, the then 19-year-old went to Bunnings Villawood on the day of the brutal attack and bought duct tape, rope and a handsaw.

Once inside the apartment he hid a Survivor-brand hunting knife under the couch. Shortly before 8pm, he went to the boot of his BMW with the survivor when she noticed a large black bag with a saw and conceded that he purchased it in case the body didn’t fit in the boot and he needed to chop it up.

When the victim was in the bathroom, he began the horrific stabbing spree, which then continued with the survivor.

Unsettling facts tendered to the court state the former Guildford man wanted to chill out instead of calling an ambulance for the victim, who was lying on the floor, staring at the roof and gasping.

Afterwards he started singing I’m a Bomb.

Shockingly, the court heard how he wanted to have sex with the survivor after the girl was murdered because he knew he would go to be going to jail.

It was not until 10.36pm - two hours after the attack - that he called 000.

Kovaleff told the court he deeply regretted not calling an ambulance because he did not want to be caught, and told the victim’s family he was sorry.

Paramedics arrived at 10.45pm and found the victim unconscious with wounds to her stomach, left thigh and back. She was rushed to hospital, but was pronounced dead at 11.43pm.

Psychological assessment

Before Kovaleff took to the stand, forensic psychologist Kerri Eagle gave evidence after assessing the killer, who the court heard feigned problems such as autism and having a personality disorder.

She told the court it was possible his actions were motivated by sexual sadism despite no official diagnosis of the condition, but his behaviour – such as maintaining eye contact and being able to describe his emotions to her – was not consistent with autism.

Referring to his school records, Dr Eagle said Kovaleff was described as a friendly, co-operative, conscientious, well-mannered young man who got along with his peers.

But he told her he had violent fantasies, as the court heard about how he played a song after he murdered the girl and that sexual pleasure could have motivated the crimes.

The court heard how he wanted to have “kinky sex” with the surviving girl and wanted to “jerk off” after the murder.

Kovaleff had told her he engaged in anti-social behaviour, had substance abuse problems, felt abandoned by his mother and rejected by his father, who was in the courtroom.

He left home and experienced long terms of unemployment. He had symptoms of depression but Dr Eagle did not find mental illness.

A family’s grief

The crippling grief a family has endured since their “overly trusting” daughter and sister was brutally murdered was heard in court.

The court first heard from a sister who read a statement on behalf of her parents who broke down before formal proceedings before Justice Stephen Rothman.

Clutching a framed photo of the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, one sister read on behalf of her mother: “My dear baby, you left the house happily to celebrate a birthday. You did nothing wrong and out of nowhere you suffered a tragedy.

The victim was murdered after being knifed by crazed killer Kristian Kovaleff at Parramatta a week before Christmas 2020. Picture: Julian Andrews.

“Your beautiful life was at the beginning. You were about to commence your university studies. That night the police knocked on our door in the middle of the night and we asked police where our child was.’’

On the day before her death, the mother recalled taking water to her youngest child at the library, a ritual she still carries out.

“I see my baby’s smiling face all the time. I can hear her voice too,’’ she said.

The family sold their house, suffer anxiety and depression, struggle to concentrate at work and visit her gravesite regularly.

The mother said her daughter had no bad blood with Kovaleff and recalled how the night of the murder he failed to call an ambulance. They called her friend when Kovaleff “dared to answer her phone”.

“He wasn’t just cruel when he spoke, he was cool, he was clear,’’ she said.

The victim’s older sister told the court her sibling – an aspiring university student – died just hours after returning to her school for a barbecue to celebrate her HSC results.

She was on the cusp of adulthood and was looking forward to a night out.

“All she wanted to do was experience something nice and eat at her favourite restaurant,’’ she said.

“She didn’t even get to use the money my dad gave her for her favourite restaurant. My entire family has been robbed of our happiness.’’

She said how her father carried the ashes of his favourite child everywhere and felt a lack of purpose in his life.

“He’s filled with guilt and wishes to end his life to be with her,’’ he said.

The victim’s other sister said their last conversation was about plans to take driving lessons and future milestones such as weddings.

She said her sister’s popularity led to her death.

“She acted tough on the outside but really she is vulnerable and overly trusting,’’ she said.

At 3am on December 21, half asleep, she recalled being woken by the loud knock on the door.

Two policemen broke the shattering news: “I’m sorry to say that she has been brutally stabbed in a hotel room. She’s currently at Westmead Hospital where she has passed … I looked at them (my parents) and told them she was dead. My parents looked like they could pass out at any moment. That was the beginning of the end for our happy family.’’

When the family visited the victim at the morgue, her mum screamed and her dad collapsed on the floor.

“No one deserves this and my family is heartbroken,’’ she said.

“My sister’s heartless murder will burn in our minds and soul for the rest of our lives.’’

Sentencing submissions continue.

Lifeline: 13 11 14.