Deakin Uni lecturer Adam Brown killed wife during knife fight over kindergarten plans, court hears

Deakin University lecturer Adam Brown killed his wife with a knife during a heated fight over kindergarten plans, his lawyers have claimed in court.

Deakin University lecturer Adam Brown is facing court over the murder of his wife Chen Cheng. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Ascui

A former Deakin University lecturer who admitted killing his wife claims an argument about kindergarten arrangements led to her fatal stabbing.

Adam Brown, 40, appeared in the Supreme Court on Friday after pleading guilty to the murder of his wife Chen Cheng, 35, at their family home in Croydon.

Wearing a black suit and supported by more than a dozen family and friends sitting in court, the senior communications academic silently sobbed and looked down as details of his wife’s murder were aired publicly for the first time.

After his arrest, Brown told police he was arguing with Ms Cheng over kindergarten arrangements for their three-year-old son which led to insults being hurled at one another inside their Patrick Ave home on April 30 last year.

Adam Brown has claimed in court that he killed his wife Chen Cheng during a knife fight. Source: Digital zones/Adam Brown

In his police interview, Brown claimed Ms Cheng then spat in his face and hit him before she armed herself with a knife, prompting him to do the same.

He said a fight erupted in the kitchen which spilt into the backyard.

“The fight moved to the backyard, both ended up on the ground struggling over a single knife,” prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC said.

But he could not explain to police how Ms Cheng had been stabbed.

Brown began CPR and called triple-0, telling them his wife had come at him with a knife and they had stabbed each other.

He later told a told a psychiatrist there had been a struggle and he stabbed Ms Cheng in the neck.

In the lead-up to her death, neighbours gathered outside the home after hearing Ms Cheng’s screams including: “Help me, help me, he’s trying to kill me.”

After they banged on the garage, Brown, who had minor injuries, let them in where they found Ms Cheng lying bloodied in the backyard.

Neighbours tried to revive her but she died at the scene.

An autopsy found she died from stab wounds to her neck and chest.

Two bloodied knifes containing DNA from both Brown and Ms Cheng were found at the home.

Forensic psychiatrist Andrew Carroll told the court he suspected Brown had been triggered by humiliation or fear into a “highly aroused state” during the argument.

“He was in a state of rage that was clearly directed towards the victim,” he said.

Justice John Champion noted the disparity in injuries between the pair and said it must have been a “pretty savage attack”.

The court heard Brown did not have a history of domestic violence but had been counselled for anger issues the year before Ms Cheng’s murder.

Chen was killed in the backyard of the couple’s Croydon home. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Neighbours and friends lined the street with flowers following Cheng’s murder. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Ms Cheng also underwent mental health treatment following the traumatic birth of their son in 2020.

Brown’s lawyer David Hallowes said there was no excuse for his client’s actions but their relationship was under pressure due to Ms Cheng’s mental health.

“It’s clear Adam Brown was struggling to cope,” he said.

“There was fear about what was happening to his family unit.”

He added his client was remorseful for his actions.

“Every waking moment he wishes he could take back what he has done,” he said.

The couple, who were married for five years, met after Ms Cheng moved to Australia from China to study construction management at the University of Melbourne.

Ms Cheng’s mother Min Liu stayed with them following the birth of their son where she witnessed their arguments.

“She saw he raised his voice while she remained quiet,” Ms Rogers said.

“When she returned to China she was worried about her daughter and believed it (marriage) to be an unhappy one.”

In her victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Liu described her daughter’s death like a “spear piercing through my heart”.

“It was cruel for her to be taken away from my life,” she said.

“This whole tragedy was like a fatal blow to my heart. If Adam didn’t love her they could have separated or divorced.”

Brown will be sentenced at a later date.