Home / Crime and Justice / Zoo Chef's Jealous Rage Ends in Brutal Murder
Zoo Chef's Jealous Rage Ends in Brutal Murder
12 Dec
Summary
- A zoo worker received a 30-year sentence for murder.
- The victim was stabbed 14 times in a locked storeroom.
- The motive was rejected romantic advances from the killer.
A former zoo employee has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for a premeditated murder that occurred on December 18, 2023. The victim, Tshewang Choden, was fatally stabbed 14 times within a locked storeroom at the National Zoo & Aquarium in Canberra.
The court heard that the killer, Jude Wijesinghe, was driven by jealousy and rage after his supervisor, Ms. Choden, rejected his romantic advances. Justice Lucy McCallum described the crime as one of "utmost gravity," highlighting the sustained brutality and the victim's likely terror.
Wijesinghe, who had developed a romantic interest in Ms. Choden, pleaded guilty to murder in July 2024. Despite claims of a depressive episode, the judge found he was capable of rational deliberation, leading to the significant sentence and a non-parole period of 20 years.
