Premeditation in a tragic workplace killing at Canberra’s National Zoo
The ACT Supreme Court has heard that the brutal stabbing murder of a female colleague at Canberra’s National Zoo and Aquarium last December was premeditated and planned. Jude Wijesinghe, 31, has pleaded guilty to the murder of Tshewang Choden, a fellow worker who was killed in a storeroom off the kitchen area where the two were employed.
Choden’s death has sent shockwaves through the community and the zoo’s staff. The court heard that she was stabbed 14 times in the room, a location far from public view, raising questions about how the attack unfolded and what could have motivated such a violent act.
Impact statements reveal a trauma that lingers
During a sentencing hearing, colleagues described the event as something that would never leave them. Amanda Mead, a senior staff member at the zoo, delivered a victim impact statement stating that the day’s events had altered her life and the lives of many others forever. “The defendant was not a stranger; he was a trusted colleague,” Mead said, adding that the betrayal was “in the most violent way.”
Choden’s family also spoke through a victim impact statement read in court. The statement, written by one of her brothers, framed Choden as “our heart, our joy, our light,” whose absence was felt in every moment. The family described enduring “deep and constant grief” and urged the court to deliver justice, addressing Wijesinghe directly with a message that he had taken something precious from them.
Another witness, a Zoo employee, described the murder as “cruel and unjust,” noting the enduring psychological scars. The person said the incident had fundamentally altered their sense of safety and fulfillment at work, leaving a permanent mark on the workplace atmosphere.
Psychiatric assessment: a mind unraveling under depression
Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Caroll told the court that Wijesinghe experienced a “major depressive episode” and that mental state deterioration in the months leading to the murder likely influenced his actions. He described Wijesinghe as “delusional” with a “distorted state of mind” and noted psychotic features alongside a disturbing fixation on the victim. The expert indicated that it would have been extremely unlikely for Wijesinghe to commit such an act if he had not been in a depressive state at the time.
Premeditation and moral culpability amid mental illness
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Victoria Engel, asserted that Wijesinghe’s fixation and preparatory steps demonstrated full moral culpability despite mental health issues. Prosecutors pointed to evidence that he had written a note to one of Choden’s friends two weeks before the murder. They also highlighted that he took a knife from the kitchen, retreated to a storeroom about 12 metres away, locked the door, and trapped Choden inside, underscoring the calculated nature of the act.
In contrast, defence counsel Kylie Weston-Scheuber argued that the crime was integrally connected to Wijesinghe’s mental illness, which she described as causing delusional thinking and impaired judgment. The tension in the courtroom centered on whether the act should be considered the product of a disturbed mind or a premeditated crime with full accountability.
What happens next in the sentencing process
The sentencing hearing, presided over by Chief Justice Lucy McCallum, is ongoing and will continue next week. The outcome will hinge on how the court weighs evidence of premeditation against the backdrop of the defendant’s mental health and the testimonies from those most affected by the tragedy. The case has reignited debates about workplace safety, mental health support for staff, and how courts balance justice with compassion when mental illness is a contributing factor.
