Dinush Kurera faces trial accused of murdering former partner Nelomie Perera

A cheating husband was fuelled by a “deep-seated hatred” towards his estranged wife when he brutally killed her in front of their children at their Sandhurst home, a jury has been told.

Dinush Kurera has been charged with the murder of his ex-partner, Nelomie Perera, who was found dead in her Sandhurst home on December 3, 2022.

A cheating husband was fuelled by a “deep-seated hatred” towards his estranged wife when he brutally killed her in front of their children, a jury has been told.

Dinush Kurera, 47, faced the first day of his Supreme Court trial on Tuesday, accused of murdering his former partner Nelomie Perera, 43, with a hatchet and kitchen knife after breaking into their Sandhurst home.

In his opening address, Crown prosecutor Mark Gibson KC told the jury the mother-of-three was trying to divorce her husband and sell their home at the time of her alleged murder after learning he was having an affair with another woman.

Describing the 14-minute attack as “sustained, brutal and vicious”, Mr Gibson said Mr Kurera yelled that he had built their home and would not let her take it away from him.

“This attack by Mr Kurera upon his wife was fuelled by a deep-seated hatred for her for the way he perceived he had been treated by her,” he said.

“It’s something he would not tolerate from his estranged wife.”

The jury was told Ms Perera was fearful of her husband, and was receiving help from family violence support services and an intervention order was in place at the time of her death.

Dinush Kurera is accused of killing his former partner Nelomie Perera with a hatchet and kitchen knife after breaking into their Sandhurst home.

On the evening of December 3, 2022, Mr Kurera allegedly broke into the property’s back fence with a crowbar while he was carrying a jerry can with petrol, a lighter and hatchet he had earlier purchased.

Mr Gibson said Mr Kurera was wearing dark coloured clothing and gloves before he attacked his wife with the hatchet while she was outside having a cigarette around 11.30pm.

The court heard the couple’s two teenage children rushed downstairs after hearing their mother’s screams, finding her on the ground as their father raised the hatchet.

He allegedly told them if they called police, he would set fire to the home and kill all of them, including himself.

The jury was told Ms Perera, who was bleeding from the head, tried to reason with her husband, telling him she needed an ambulance and if he left, she would not call police.

Mr Kurera allegedly told his family he wanted to talk and they moved into the living room.

Mr Gibson said Mr Kurera told them he would be staying at the home, and berated his wife saying she had ruined his life.

He allegedly asked his children if she had been seeing other men, and when one of them confirmed she had, flew into a fit of rage.

Mr Kurera allegedly attacked his wife with the hatchet, before turning on the couple’s son as he tried to escape via a back door.

Nelomie Perera was repeatedly heard screaming “help me” during the fatal incident:

Distressing audio recorded on a safety wristwatch Ms Perera was wearing at the time was played to the court, in which she could be heard repeatedly screaming “help me” as she was allegedly attacked.

“I’ve got nothing to lose, get out of here,” Mr Kurera allegedly told his children.

Dressed in a black suit, Mr Kurera, who is also charged with assaulting his son, silently watched on from the dock as the audio was played.

Mr Gibson said Mr Perera sustained at least 35 blows from the hatchet and a knife retrieved from the kitchen during the frenzied attack.

The couple’s children were able to escape and raise the alarm with neighbours who alerted police.

After they arrived, the court heard Mr Kurera claimed his wife had tried to stab him before he killed her.

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

Mr Gibson said there was a history of violence by Mr Kurera against his wife and she had previously reported him to police but withdrew her complaint.

The court heard the alleged murder took place just days after Mr Kurera returned to Melbourne from Sri Lanka where he had been having an affair with the other woman.

Mr Gibson will continue his opening on Wednesday before Mr Kurera’s lawyers deliver their response.

Originally published as Dinush Kurera faces trial accused of murdering former partner Nelomie Perera