A Melbourne university lecturer, Adam Brown, who pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife, Chen Cheng, has heard harrowing details about the moments leading up to her death during a pre-sentencing hearing at Melbourne’s Supreme Court.
Brown sobbed as the court heard how neighbours heard Ms Cheng screaming for help as Brown repeatedly stabbed her at their Croydon North home in April 2022.
Ms Cheng, a 35-year-old mother of one from China, moved to Melbourne in 2015 to study and met Brown in 2016.
The couple married in China in 2017 and had a child together in 2020.
While there were no reports of domestic violence, Brown had anger issues and had sought help from a psychologist in the year before the murder.
Ms Cheng had also sought mental health treatment following a traumatic birth.
On the evening of April 30, 2022, the couple had an argument about future kindergarten arrangements, which escalated and moved through different rooms of their home.
Brown claimed Ms Cheng spat in his face, hit him around his ears, and he tried to restrain and push her away.
They both armed themselves with knives, and Ms Cheng was stabbed in the neck in the kitchen, losing a large amount of blood.
Brown told police his wife bit him on the arm.
The prosecutor, Nanette Rogers SC, told the court that the fight moved to the backyard, and both ended up on the ground struggling over a single knife.
Brown realised that his wife had sustained serious injuries during the struggle.
Neighbours heard cries and screams coming from the home before Ms Cheng died, and they heard Brown say ‘stop,’ ‘get down,’ or ‘shut up.’
They knocked on the front door, but there was no answer.
They then heard Ms Cheng scream ‘help me, he’s trying to kill me.’
The neighbours banged on the garage, and Brown let them inside, with one of the neighbours performing CPR.
Brown tried to resuscitate Ms Cheng and called triple zero.
She was declared dead by paramedics at 10:40 pm, with an autopsy finding she died from three deep stab wounds to her chest and neck.
Brown suffered only minor wounds and had not explain how his wife sustained so many stab wounds.
Brown’s barrister, David Hallowes SC, said his client was ‘deeply sorry’ and accepted he would serve a lengthy jail term for the murder.
The hearing before Justice Mark Champion continues.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please seek help immediately by calling 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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