By Tara Cosoleto, Aap
A bodybuilder who stabbed his partner to death using six knives in Endeavour Hills while her young daughter tried to stop him has been told to “stop the crocodile tears” by a judge.
Sven Lindemann, 52, held his head in his hands and let out loud sobs on Friday as the Supreme Court in Melbourne was told how he murdered his partner on 30 May, 2023.
But Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth yelled at Lindemann to “stop the crocodile tears” because it was clear he was pretending and he had no genuine remorse.
Lindemann stabbed Monique Lezsak 17 times at her home, hours after she broke up with him because she found a new partner.
Her daughter, known in court under the pseudonym Lily, heard yelling from a bedroom ensuite and ran to see her mother being attacked by Lindemann.
He stabbed his former partner, strangled her and dragged her through the house.
Lily tried to stop Lindemann, kicking him and twice pulling the knife out of his hands, but he kept grabbing more weapons.
He used six knives in total, breaking two of them, as he inflicted the fatal stab wounds to Ms Lezsak’s head, neck and chest.
Lily also suffered five wounds during the attack.
The distressed young girl called triple zero, telling operators there was a murderer in the house.
When police arrived, they heard her pleading with her mother not to leave her, but Ms Lezsak could not be revived.
Lily’s twin brother and Ms Lezsak’s mother were also inside the Endeavour Hills home at the time of the attack.
Police found Lindemann in the bedroom with a self-inflicted stab wound to the chest.
Before stabbing himself, Lindemann made a $70,000 bank transfer and tried to call his ex-wife who lived in Adelaide.
Lindemann was remanded in custody at the Melbourne Assessment Prison after undergoing emergency surgery.
In recorded conversations with his parents, Lindemann blamed Ms Lezsak, saying she “poured petrol onto the fire” and that she “wrecked everything” for him.
His barrister Lucinda Thies told the court Lindemann, who has pleaded guilty to murder, accepted responsibility for his crimes and regretted his behaviour.
But Justice Hollingworth disagreed, saying she could not accept he held genuine remorse.
“He still maintains she ruined his life,” she said.
Ms Thies asked the judge to take into account Lindemann’s strong family background, lack of prior convictions and previous good character.
However, Justice Hollingworth said those attributes did not make him unique, especially in a case of serious family violence.
“Domestic violence abusers and offenders often present one face to the world and one face to their partner – your client is no different,” she said.
The judge noted it was a very serious example of the offence, especially considering there were young children and a grandmother present.
Prosecutor Kristie Churchill said women were entitled to end relationships without that choice leading to their deaths.
She encouraged the court to send a strong message to the community that such crimes warranted serious punishment.
More than a dozen of Ms Lezsak’s family and friends filled the court for the pre-sentence hearing, where the mother-of-two was remembered as a beautiful person inside and out.
“She didn’t deserve this and neither did her children,” her friend Donna Brown said.
“I struggle every day with what happened and the selfishness of his actions.”
Lindemann, who is facing up to life in prison, will be sentenced at a later date.
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