Jean Louise Herholdt sentenced for manslaughter
A nurse who fatally stabbed her violent husband after he found her hidden stash of cash has learnt her fate on how long she’ll spend in jail.
A Queensland nurse who fatally stabbed husband when a domestic argument turned violent is now eligible for parole after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
Jean Louise Herholdt, 30, was sentenced in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday to seven years and six months for killing her violent husband Sean Murray.
The court was told Herholdt had been saving money secretly from the 32-year-old in an effort to escape his violence along with her three children.
Justice Peter Davis said on Friday that Mr Murray had a long history of violence threatening and injuring his wife, including incidents where he headbutted her or stabbed her.
“Various witnesses over the years saw you bleeding and injured countless times,” Justice Davis said.
The court was told on the morning of August 27, 2020, Mr Murray became violent once more with his wife, choking her in front of neighbours and another man who lived in their Murrumba Downs home.
When the couple returned inside their home, Herholdt began demanding Mr Murray give the money she’d be saving back to her after she believed he had found the hidden stash and taken it.
Justice Davis said the “emotionally charged environment” left Herholdt in an “aggressive and agitated state”.
“You armed yourself with a knife and demanded Mr Murray give you money,” he said.
“You stabbed him once in the back, you then continued to demand money to him …”
Justice Davis said Herholdt continued to demand money from her husband until she realised the extent of the injury she’d caused with the knife.
The court was told she then “applied pressure to the wounds” using her nursing skill and waited until paramedics attended the house.
The court was told the knife had penetrated Mr Murray’s left lung and the wound to the back was 23mm in length and about 15cm deep.
Justice Davis said Herholdt, who has remained in custody for about 27 months since she stabbed her husband, had shown “remorse” for her actions and responded well to rehabilitation programs.
He said while there was no “lawful excuse” for Herholdt’s actions, her reaction to the situation where she thought her husband had taken the money she’d saved to escape his violence was in “a human way … understandable”.
“Domestic violence is a huge social problem,” Justice Davis said.
“There’s no doubt Mr Murray was significantly violent to you and no doubt he damaged you in other ways.
“However, Mr Murray had a family … and the hurt Mr Murray’s family had suffered as a result (of his death).
“Whatever can be said of the circumstances of your relationship … the fact remains you unlawfully killed Mr Murray.
“The law offers you no legal excuse for why you did.
“The deceased was unarmed.
“You were not at that particular instance in immediate danger, it seems by the time you stabbed him he was somewhat apologetic.”
Justice Davis ordered Herholdt be eligible for parole from Friday after he took into account the amount of time she’s already served in custody.
Herholdt was also convicted for three drug offences on Friday that were taken into account in her sentencing.