Updated
A man who viciously killed a woman he met through an arranged marriage website has been sentenced to life in prison.
- Meena Narayanan was stabbed more than 30 times and had her throat slashed
- Her killer Senthill Kumar Arumugam believed she was cheating on him, the court heard
- Arumugam initially claimed her death was part of a suicide pact
Senthill Kumar Arumugam pleaded guilty in the Queensland Supreme Court in Brisbane to murdering Meena Narayanan at a Brisbane hotel in 2014.
The 27-year-old Singaporean woman, who was living in Australia on a student visa, was stabbed more than 30 times and had her throat slashed.
Prosecutor David Nardone said the pair had met through an arranged marriage website in November 2013.
"They met in person in December 2013 and their families met in February 2014 in India," he said.
"But the deceased expressed some reservations about the relationship and the evidence supports that she commenced another relationship with another man in Australia."
The court heard Arumugam, who was in South Africa, told an associate that he would kill himself if she didn't marry him.
"Mr Arumugam was aware that the deceased was, as far as he was concerned, cheating on him and asked an associate where he could buy an unregistered firearm," Mr Nardone said.
"...telling his associate if could not have the deceased then nobody else will."
When he was told he couldn't bring a gun into the country, he said he would buy a knife and slit her throat.
Arumugam travelled to Brisbane in March 2014 on a tourist visa and checked into a hotel room in Mt Gravatt.
The prosecution said he met with Ms Narayanan and neighbours heard "banging and screaming" coming from the room.
Arumugam called reception and told the manager he was bleeding and his girlfriend was dead.
Justice David Boddice described it as a "horrendous act of violence".
"When police arrived at the scene they found you lying next to the deceased," he said.
"You admitted to stabbing her but falsely claimed to police that she had asked you to help her die."
Justice Boddice said Arumugam tried to claim it was a "suicide pact" and told the court Ms Narayanan suffered 32 stab wounds.
"Her throat had been slit and she had multiple wounds to other parts of her body," he said.
"The wounds evidenced frantic attempts by the deceased to protect herself from what was a frenzied attack.
"Your motivation was anger and jealousy at her continuation of a relationship with someone other than yourself."
Arumugam had also inflicted injuries upon himself in places which weren't life threatening.
The prosecution said the case had been delayed for years because Arumugam had extensive mental health treatment.
Justice Boddice said psychiatrists accepted he had genuine psychotic symptoms in custody.
"You have also exaggerated symptoms in an unsuccessful attempt to rely on a mental health defence," he said.
Arumugam will be eligible to apply for parole after serving 20 years of his life sentence in custody.
Topics: murder-and-manslaughter, law-crime-and-justice, crime, courts-and-trials, qld, australia, brisbane-4000
First posted