Daughter’s brave attempts to shield injured mum Nelomie Perera from axe-wielding father

A jury has heard how Nelomie Perera’s daughter tried in vain to protect her injured mum from her father’s alleged deadly attack, repeatedly standing in his way while he was armed with an axe.

Nelomie Perera was allegedly murdered in her Sandhurst home in December 2022 by her estranged husband. Picture: supplied

A teenager repeatedly stood in the way of her axe-wielding father before he allegedly murdered her mother, a jury has heard.

Dinush Kurera, 47, is standing trial in the Supreme Court accused of murdering his estranged wife Nelomie Perera, 43, in a “sustained, brutal and vicious” 14-minute attack which took place in front of their children in their Sandhurst home on December 3, 2022.

Mr Kurera allegedly broke into the home and killed the mother-of-three after she told him she wanted a divorce and to sell their home following allegations of domestic violence and cheating by him with a woman in Sri Lanka.

Mr Kurera has pleaded not guilty to her murder, claiming he killed his wife of 17 years in self-defence after she attacked him with a knife.

The couple’s 18-year-old daughter gave evidence via a video link from a remote witness facility on Monday, where she told the jury she repeatedly stood in the direct line of danger to protect her mother from her father.

Dinush Kurera (right) allegedly murdered his estranged wife Nelomie Perera using an axe to inflict deadly injuries after she told him she wanted a divorce. Picture: supplied

The teen, who the Herald Sun has chosen not to name, rushed downstairs with her brother after they heard their mother’s screams, finding their dad dressed in black, wearing gloves and holding a raised axe near their injured mother.

“There was a red blood puddle where she was standing and I could see the left side of her head was all red and wet,” the daughter recounted.

She told the jury her dad said he had poured gasoline around the house and would kill them if they called the police.

The young woman said she moved toward her dad, still armed with an axe, and used her body to shift him away from her mother and stand between them.

“He was trying to hit her again with the axe,” she said.

The jury heard she stood between her parents, attempting to push her “aggressive” father away from her mother a further three times.

“I stood every time except for the last,” the daughter recalled.

The jury heard at this point the family were all seated on a couch where Mr Kurera interrogated his children about whether their mother was being a “whore”.

Her teenage son responded that his mother had been “talking” to someone.

Dinush Kurera, 47, is standing trial in the Supreme Court accused of murdering his estranged wife Nelomie Perera. Picture: NewsWire/ David Crosling

Mr Kurera then allegedly struck his estranged wife with the axe as she was curled into a ball on a recliner, her hands raised in protection of her face.

“When dad started to hit mum, (my brother) ran out the back door. He chased after him,” the teenager recounted.

The jury last week heard evidence from the teenage son, who told how his father struck him twice with the axe to the head and knee as he tried to escape the home.

Mr Kurera is also charged with assaulting his son.

The jury was previously told Ms Perera was fearful of her husband, sought help from a family violence support service, changed the locks of her home and wore a safety wristwatch capable of alerting police to danger.

She died after sustaining 35 separate injuries to her head, face, neck, arms and abdomen.

“I killed my wife, she’s dead over there,” Mr Kurera allegedly told police.

Their daughter’s evidence will continue on Tuesday.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800 737 732 (1800RESPECT), text 0458 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.