‘He was exaggerating and he was trying to persuade me he had a mental impairment,’ psychiatrist says after interviewing Luay Sako

A court has heard murderer Luay Sako “faked” hallucinations and invented a man with big ears, a big nose and pointy teeth “because he wanted sympathy and he didn’t want to be seen as a monster”.

Killer stalker Luay Sako invented an ugly, pointy-toothed man called ‘Isha’ that he tried to blame for murdering Celeste Manno in a failed bid to get a mental impairment defence.

Sako claimed a man with a big nose and large ears sat next to him as he drove to Ms Manno’s Mernda home in the early hours of November 16, 2020, and coaxed him to “end it”.

But four psychiatrists rejected his claims, finding Sako was “faking” hallucinations and that there was “no evidence” of the man he described as being “ugly (with) big ears, big nose, pointy teeth”.

Luay Sako claimed a man with a big nose and large ears sat next to him as he drove to Celeste Manno’s Mernda home. Picture: Ian Currie

Rather, forensic psychiatrist Dr Rajan Darjee – who interviewed the 39-year-old killer three times – said Isha was actually an “image in his mind, reflecting the ugly side of himself”.

“He was exaggerating and he was trying to persuade me he had a mental impairment because he wanted sympathy and he didn’t want to be seen as a monster,” Dr Darjee told the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The psychiatrist said Sako spoke of being “ashamed”, of not wanting to be seen as a stalker and “wishing the court proceedings would just go away”.

The court heard that Sako first spoke of Isha more than a year after he murdered Ms Manno, 23, by smashing through her bedroom window with a hammer, then stabbing her to death where she slept.

Ms Manno was brutally murdered by Mr Sako.

The stalker, who had charges pending for breaching an intervention order against his former Serco colleague, claimed Isha told him “he had become a criminal so he had to act like one and end things”.

On the night of the murder, Sako said, “Isha’s in the car with me, he tells me I’ve got to end it”.

Dr Darjee said the killer “portrayed Isha as if Isha was some psychotic phenomenon”, and that he was there speaking to him but “I wasn’t convinced”.

“What he wanted was to try and get a mental impairment defence,” said Dr Darjee, who diagnosed Sako with body dysmorphic disorder, major depressive disorder and severe personality disorder, but found those conditions didn’t explain why he committed murder.

Ms Manno’s family and friends at the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Picture: Ian Currie

Prosecutor Patrick Bourke KC pointed to text messages from Sako to Ms Manno about their workplace, Serco, describing how he “totally made up” psychological issues when he wanted a stand up desk and to reduce his hours to part-time.

Mr Bourke said the texts were “indications” he used an invented mental illness to get what he wanted.

The court heard that photos Ms Manno posted to social media with her boyfriend Chris Ridsdale – seen by Sako hours before the murder – was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” as his obsession towards her turned to jealousy and rage.

Although Sako rejected the photos’ role in his crime, Dr Darjee said the images “crystallises her being unattainable”.

A photo of Ms Manno and her boyfriend Chris Ridsdale that was shared on social media.

“I think at the time he was both enraged towards the victim, but also wanted the whole situation to disappear. That’s why he committed the murder in my view,” Dr Darjee said.

The doctor’s evidence came after 19 family and friends told Justice Jane Dixon of the impact Ms Manno’s brutal loss had on their lives.

Her boyfriend, Mr Ridsdale, told the court “the loss I feel isn’t just for what we had together but for the future that’s been taken away”.

He said he struggles meeting up with their friends, who he’s watched get engaged, build homes and have children, only to drive home alone “with the seat next to me empty instead of hearing her laugh and talking about the fun we’ve had”.

“This crime has changed my life. This crime has robbed us of our future. I’ve lost my beautiful Celeste and nothing will ever change that,” he said.

Sako’s pre-sentencing hearing before Justice Jane Dixon continues on Wednesday.