‘Tried to downplay’: Judge hears murderer Darren Wake went to ex-wife’s house armed with flick knife
Hobart murderer Darren Mark Wake has made a bid to shorten the length of time he spends in jail, after he brutally stabbed his ex-wife to death on Christmas Day, 2021. What the court heard.
Police & Courts
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Hobart killer Darren Mark Wake understands that he will “spend many years in prison” for brutally murdering his ex-wife on Christmas Day, 2021.
But the 62-year-old has also made a bid to shorten the length of time he ultimately spends behind bars, with his lawyer arguing he deserves “as short a non-parole period as possible”.
Wake appeared in the Supreme Court of Tasmania on Wednesday for plea in mitigation after finally pleading guilty to the murder of midwife Rachel Anne Wake, 52.
Wake had not entered any plea at all until 10 months after the stabbing murder, then pleaded not guilty in October 2022 and flagged his intentions to take the matter to trial.
He ultimately pleaded guilty in December last year – admitting to repeatedly stabbing Ms Wake with a flick knife he’d bought off eBay, leaving her unconscious and covered with blood.
Wake had taken the flick knife to Ms Wake’s Mornington home, turning up at her door after their son had not arrived at his home to open Christmas presents earlier that morning.
Defence lawyer Fabiano Cangelosi argued Wake, who has been in custody at Risdon Prison since the day of the murder, had “no criminal history to speak of besides three traffic infringements”.
Justice Helen Wood also heard Wake had given “significant assistance” to the Crown over “four serious matters” – with the details of that assistance yet to be aired in court.
Lastly, Mr Cangelosi said Wake was “remorseful” and “deeply regretful” of the “terrible crime” he had committed.
“Immediately after seeing what he had done to Ms Wake, the accused attempted to give her medical attention. He acted immediately to have emergency services attend,” Mr Cangelosi said.
“In my submission he was instantly overcome with remorse and regret for what he had done.”
Mr Cangelosi said the fact that Wake gave police incorrect details, including the number of stab wounds he delivered to his ex-wife, was because he was in a “state of shock” and things had “become a blur”.
“He was not attempting to downplay the seriousness of what he had done,” he said.
“This is a terrible crime. The accused understands that it is fair, that it is just, that he spend many years in prison. He asks me not to attempt to mitigate at all what he did, because it cannot be mitigated.”
However Mr Cangelosi said when his prior conduct, remorse and assistance to the Crown was taken into account, “it is fair he serves as short a non-parole period as possible”.
Daryl Coates SC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, did not agree.
“It’s not just a question of his previous good record or his prospects of rehabilitation. In serious cases like this, Your Honour has to consider what is the minimum time justice requires him to serve,” he said.
“I don’t dispute the fact the accused was remorseful and tried to assist the deceased afterwards and made admissions to police, but he also tried to downplay the reason why he went there with the knife, saying it was a present for his daughter. The fact was he took the knife contemplating he may have to use it if he didn’t get access to his son.”
Justice Wood will sentence Wake on June 19.
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