Maria Gotencio’s life was forever altered the day her daughter, Czarina, was brutally murdered. The tragedy has left an indelible mark, and over a year later, the pain remains as fresh as ever. Maria is now faced with the daunting task of guiding her four young grandchildren through their shared anguish.
Through tears, Maria addressed the Victorian Supreme Court today, saying, “This loss is permanent and irreversible. It is a life sentence of grief. The damage done to this family can never be undone.” Her poignant words laid bare the immense burden of sorrow she and her family must bear.
Sitting in court, Jessie James Tumaliuan, 42, showed little emotion as he listened to Maria’s heartfelt statement during his pre-sentence hearing. Tumaliuan has confessed to the murder of his wife, Czarina Tumaliuan, also 42, which took place in the backyard of their Werribee home in Melbourne’s southwest on March 27 last year.
“It is a life sentence of grief. The damage done to this family can never be undone.”
Czarina’s killer Jessie James Tumaliuan, 42, barely reacted as he listened to Gotencio read her statement at his pre-sentence hearing.
He admitted he murdered his wife Czarina Tumaliuan, 42, in the backyard of their Werribee home in Melbourne’s southwest on March 27 last year.
Tumaliuan had forced his way inside the property and called his wife abusive names as he yelled at her about money.
She tried to flee out the back door but he chased her down and used a kitchen knife to stab her eight times to the neck, head, chest and abdomen.
The entire attack lasted 10 seconds.
Tumaliuan then dragged his wife’s body to the back door before he sat down and called triple zero twice.
He refused to let paramedics in but co-operated with police when they arrived.
Gotencio said she wished she could have been there to protect her daughter.
“A part of me died with her,” she told the court on a video link from the United States.
Tumaliuan’s teenage son also read a statement to the court, saying he had lost the most important person in his world.
“My mum is someone you would call a super-mum,” he said over the video link.
“Now there is a big empty space in our hearts that cannot be fixed. It hurts so much that she is no longer with us.”
Tumaliuan’s barrister Chris Hooper accepted the attack would have been terrifying for his wife, who was entitled to feel safe in her own home.
He conceded it was a very serious example of murder but argued his client had not attended the home with the intention of killing his wife.
Hooper told the court Tumaliuan also made no attempts to hide evidence or frustrate the police investigation, instead calling triple zero himself and waiting at the scene.
The barrister accepted the only expression of remorse has come from Tumaliuan’s guilty plea, which followed a sentence indication hearing in January.
Justice Amanda Fox indicated she would sentence Tumaliuan up to 26 years behind bars if he pleaded guilty to murder.
Hooper said while Tumaliuan had no diagnosed mental health or substance abuse issues, his time in custody would be more difficult as he was facing deportation back to the Philippines.
But Justice Fox said Tumaliuan effectively had no ties to Australia, noting his family lived in the Philippines and his children were in the United States.
“Whatever life he made here, he decimated when he committed this crime,” she said.
Tumaliuan will officially be sentenced at a later date.
