Queensland man who killed wife has sentence cut to 16 years after jury accepts provocation defence

A Queensland killer’s beingness condemnation for repeatedly stabbing his woman and crushing her skull with a factual bollard has been slashed to 16 years successful situation aft a retrial.

Arona Peniamina, 41, was initially convicted of execution and ordered to service the remainder of his beingness down bars aft sidesplitting his woman Sandra astatine the household location astatine Kippa-Ring, northbound of Brisbane, successful March 2016

But the precocious tribunal tossed retired the execution condemnation connected entreaty – uncovering a important ineligible mistake by the justice during assemblage acquisition astatine the 2018 proceedings – and granted Peniamina a caller hearing.

Peniamina ever admitted sidesplitting the parent of four, but helium argued helium should beryllium convicted of manslaughter.

The assemblage astatine his retrial agreed, handing down a bulk verdict connected the reduced complaint successful Queensland’s ultimate tribunal successful September.

On the nighttime of the brutal slaying, Peniamina had discovered his woman was having an matter and “lost control” erstwhile the brace argued implicit her infidelity.

Sandra Peniamina had started sleeping unsocial and had conscionable returned from a travel to New Zealand, wherever pictures of her were posted connected societal media by different man.

A livid Peniamina talked to household members astir her matter earlier returning location to face his wife.

The brace argued successful the bedroom, with Sanra Peniamina refusing to springiness him her mobile phone, and helium lashed out, punching her successful the look earlier escaping to the room to limb herself with a knife.

He wrestled the weapon from her, cutting his manus erstwhile helium grabbed the blade. He again punched her earlier stabbing her aggregate times with the room knife.

Experts recovered 29 crisp unit injuries connected her assemblage – 15 to her caput alone.

When she fled the location and tried to fell down a car, Peniamina followed. He threw his woman onto the driveway, kicking her earlier crushing her caput with the bollard.

Police recovered the grip of the weapon Peniamina utilized successful the onslaught underneath the car, the leaf adjacent and the extremity was aboriginal recovered embedded successful her skull.

Justice Peter Davis handed down the reduced condemnation connected Monday aft the assemblage had recovered the sidesplitting was a “spontaneous reaction” – accepting a partial defence of provocation.

“At the clip you did the enactment that killed your wife, you had temporarily mislaid the powerfulness of self-control,” the justice said.

“Your onslaught connected Mrs Peniamina was ferocious - you inflicted 29 crisp unit injuries.

“Some of the blows caused precise superior injuries ... immoderate with specified unit that it penetrated Mrs Peniamina’s skull. Your onslaught upon her was savage. You rained stabs down connected her precocious body, look and head.

“The pronged and vicious onslaught lone ended erstwhile you killed her. This unit was utmost and was inflicted successful a home unit concern initiated by your absorption to your woman not doing what you wanted her to do.”

Sandra Peniamina’s household watched the determination by video nexus connected Monday warring backmost the tears passim the proceedings.

In a unfortunate interaction statement, her younger sister said their hearts would “never beryllium mended”.

“Our lives person changed successful each aspect,” she said speechmaking the connection to the court.

“The boys person had to set to a full caller beingness - they are increasing up without immoderate parents.

“Sandra volition miss seeing her boys grow. She has already missed her youngest’s archetypal time astatine superior school, she has missed the boys playing their archetypal league games and missed them performing astatine school. Every day, we look an affectional conflict knowing Sandy is not present with us. You took a beingness that was not yours to take. We miss her dearly.”

Peniamina indispensable service astatine slightest 80% of his 16-year condemnation earlier being eligible for parole and volition beryllium deported connected his merchandise to New Zealand.