Warren Dhamarrandji murder trial: Man who believed it was ‘right’ to assault women jailed for life

A man who “felt it was the right thing” to assault women who disobeyed him has been sentenced to life in prison for the “cowardly” stabbing murder of a young woman. Find out how long he must spend behind bars.

A man who “felt it was the right thing to do” to assault women who disobeyed him will be behind bars until at least 2040 after being convicted of his partner’s murder.

Warren Dhamarrandji was found guilty by a Supreme Court jury last month after prosecutors rejected a plea to manslaughter on the partial defence of diminished responsibility.

The court heard Dhamarrandji had tracked his partner down at the Jingili Water Gardens on December 1, 2020 after she told him she planned to leave him.

It was there the 39-year-old stabbed the woman, who cannot be named for cultural reasons, nine times, including once to the heart, while also assaulting her sister Daisy Jinjair when she desperately tried to intervene.

In handing Dhamarrandji a mandatory life sentence with a non-parole period of 20 years on Tuesday, Justice John Burns said he was satisfied his cognitive impairments did not substantially diminish his self control.

“I am also satisfied that your attack on the deceased was not spontaneous and caused by your impaired cognitive capacity being overwhelmed but was a premeditated attack,” he said.

“You told (a psychiatrist) you felt that you were entitled to assault a previous partner when she decided to leave you, you felt it was the right thing to do because she left you.

“Your cowardly and selfish act (on this day) not only deprived a young woman of her life, it also affected her family and community and will continue to do so indefinitely.”

Police arrest Warren Dhamarrandji for the murder of his partner at the Jingili Water Gardens in December 2020.

Justice Burns said if not for Dhamarrandji’s impairments, he would have set a longer non-parole period than the mandatory minimum of 20 years.

“That is not to say that you should not be held responsible for what you did,” he said.

“You clearly knew that what you were doing was wrong and I am satisfied your actions were premeditated.

“Domestic violence is rampant in this Territory, were it not for your cognitive impairments the fact that the present offences are domestic violence offences would have called for a significantly increased punishment.”

Justice Burns said under the circumstances, it was difficult to assess Dhamarrandji’s prospects for rehabilitation.

“Certainly you have demonstrated an alarming attitude towards your relationship with women, which appears to be built upon a foundational belief that you are entitled to demand obedience from your partner and severely punish disobedience.

“If there is to be any hope that you may be safely returned to the community, that attitude will need to change.”