Brutal wife killer Fernando Paulino insists he is innocent
A wife killer who is serving a 25-year minimum sentence, after being convicted of bashing his wife to death before stabbing her 16 times, has once again insisted he is innocent, claiming he was confused about the proceedings.
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Remorseless wife killer Fernando Paulino has again insisted his innocence, telling another Supreme Court judge he is not a murderer.
Paulino was convicted of brutally bashing his wife, 49-year-old Teresa, before stabbing her 16 times to her chest, stomach in 2013.
Her bloodied body was found in the garage of her mother’s Reservoir home on July 15, 2013.
Later her DNA was found on a shirt, jacket and boots belonging to Paulino, as well as in his car.
Paulino was convicted despite his Supreme Court jury never learning of the DNA evidence.
Prosecutors were blocked from putting it to the jury after a judge ruled there was no way to know how it came to be on the items, given his previous interactions with his ex wife.
Even then the Supreme Court ruled “an extremely powerful prosecution case” remained.
Paulino, who is now serving a 25 year minimum sentence, appeared at the Supreme Court via videolink today where he is fighting a compensation bid by his sons, Daniel and Luke, and former brother-in-law.
He told Justice Kevin Bell he maintained his innocence, and was still trying to find a lawyer to act on his behalf because he was confused about the proceedings.
He has been denied funding by Victoria Legal Aid.
Justice Bell told Paulino the hearing would proceed on the basis of his murder conviction, and said given there seemed to be no doubt his sons and former brother-in-law were victims.
He warned him similar cases had seen compensation payouts of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Depending on how he chooses to contest the compensation claims, Paulino could force his sons into an uncomfortable face-off in which they are forced to testify in court.
During a presentence hearing he yelled from the dock as his youngest son, Luke, was about to deliver his victim impact statement.
“You know I didn’t do it, Luke. You know that,” he shouted.
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“You know I wasn’t there. I was in the western suburbs.”
Paulino continued his rant despite warnings he would be removed from the court if he continued.
“It’s tragic. It’s horrific what happened to your mother, but I didn’t do it,” Paulino said at the time.
Prosecutors argued his hatred for his estranged wife boiled over in the months before she died.
He also stood to seize control of more than a million dollars in assets if his wife disappeared.
Paulino unsuccessfully appealed his conviction.