A teenage girl repeatedly blocked her father as he tried to swing an axe at her mother, a jury has been told.
Dinush Kurera’s 18-year-old daughter today gave evidence in the Victorian Supreme Court about the lead-up to her mother Nelomie Perera’s death.
Prosecutors allege Kurera killed Perera in December 2022 in a “sustained, brutal and vicious attack” with a hatchet and kitchen knife.
READ MORE: Shopper slugged by extra $55 because of little-known rule
The 47-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murder, admitting he killed his wife but saying he did so to save his own life.
His daughter, whom AAP has chosen not to name, recounted to the jury what she said happened before the alleged murder.
The then-16-year-old was in her bedroom when she heard yelling and ran downstairs with her brother to find her father dressed in black with an axe, standing near her mother.
“He was telling us … that he tipped gasoline around the house and if we called the police, he would kill me, my brother, my mum and himself,” the girl told the court.
The teen claimed her mother was bleeding from her head and there was a pool of blood on the floor, with Perera telling her daughter, “he hit me”.
The girl hugged her father from behind and moved him around so she was standing between him and her mother, the jury was told.
Perera asked for an ambulance which Kurera allegedly refused, but he allowed his wife to use the bathroom, the teen told the court.
“He said he would hurt all of us if we did try and run away or call the police,” the girl said.
Perera returned from the bathroom and sat on a reclining chair next to her daughter, where the argument over Kurera’s alleged affair in Sri Lanka escalated.
READ MORE: Helicopter in deadly hotel crash was on ‘unauthorised’ flight
Kurera called Perera a “whore” after the son confirmed she was speaking to other men while he was overseas, the girl said.
Kurera jumped up, holding his axe in the air to strike his wife again but the girl stood in between them, the jury was told.
This happened at least three times, with the girl telling the court she managed to hold her father’s arm or push him away.
But she couldn’t stop him the last time, with Kurera allegedly swinging at Perera while she was cowering on the couch with her arms over her face.
The girl said she moved out of the way to avoid being hit and she wasn’t sure if the axe made contact with her mother’s face.
The girl’s 17-year-old brother then tried to run and Kurera chased after him with Perera following, the teen said.
She then fled to the bathroom with her phone.
Prosecutors allege Kurera struck the son with the axe before stabbing Perera with a 30cm long kitchen knife.
Perera was found in a pool of blood with 35 separate injuries, the jury was told.
READ MORE: Trump spreads false conspiracy theory about Harris’ crowd size
Kurera denies the assault on his son and says he was acting in self-defence when he killed Perera because she came at him with a knife.
The 18-year-old girl’s evidence is due to continue tomorrow.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
links to content on ABC
9News
