Paranoid Husband Murders Pregnant Wife

Crime:  Murder
Occurred: 24 August 2010
Sentenced: 25 March 2011
Where: Easterleigh Court, Dandenong
Convicted: Lino Mamour
Victim: Juana Legge

What happened?
Lino believed that his wife, Juana, was cheating on him.  On the afternoon of her death, Lino claimed that Juana pulled up a chair for him to sit in and told him, "if you are not a coward you will kill me".  Lino grabbed his 34cm knife and stabbed her several times in the heart and chest, also piercing her sternum.  He then drove to the Dandenong Police Station, covered in blood, to confess his crime.


Victim's background
Juana was 29 years old at the time of death.  She married Lino in Sudan and came to Australia in June 2010, when she fell pregnant.  She has left behind a family of ten siblings, many of whom reside in Sudan. Thirteen victim impact statements were submitted to the court by family members impacted by her death.


Convicted's background
Lino was 41 years old when he killed his wife. Born and raised in Sudan as a Christian, he was the youngest of four brothers and his parents died within 12 months of each other when he was 14. He trained as an accountant in Sudan but when civil war broke out he fled to Egypt and came to Australia as a refugee at the age of 30.  He settled in Dandenong and worked as an aged care worker, a butcher and then a machine operator.  
In the months leading up to her murder, he was obsessed that his wife was cheating on him.  He was distrustful of her doctor and was increasingly absent from work because he was so upset that Juana was unfaithful.  He could not sleep.  Before the murder occurred he was booked in for counselling through his work, who were concerned his mental state was deteriorating.  The court found there was no basis for Lino's paranoid beliefs.  Shortly before Juana's death he purchased the murder weapon, a large knife, because he believed he was being followed.  The psychologist involved in Lino's case reported that he did not appear to have an ongoing delusional mental disorder and that his wife's pregnancy may have added stress to what could have been an 'adjustment disorder with depressed mood of moderate severity'.

Outcome of trial: There was no trial because Lino pleaded guilty.

Sentence: 14 years before eligible for parole (18 years max).

You can read the judgement here.  Media coverage is available here and here.