Overview of the case
The ACT Supreme Court is currently hearing the sentencing phase in the case of a brutal stabbing murder at Canberra’s National Zoo and Aquarium. The court has heard that the incident, which took place in December 2023, was premeditated and planned by the defendant, Jude Wijesinghe, 31, who pleaded guilty to the murder of his colleague Tshewang Choden. Ms Choden was fatally stabbed 14 times in a storeroom near the kitchen area where both worked.
Pretrial and court findings
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors outlined evidence of premeditation and calculated behavior. DPP Victoria Engel emphasized the defendant’s fixation on the victim and the steps he took in the lead-up to the attack. For example, prosecutors noted a note Wijesinghe reportedly wrote to one of Ms Choden’s friends two weeks before the murder, and the act of removing a knife from the kitchen and bringing it into a nearby storeroom where the victim was confined. These details have been cited as demonstrating full moral culpability despite the defendant’s mental health issues.
Mental health assessment
Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Carroll described Wijesinghe as experiencing a major depressive episode in the months preceding the murder. He characterized the defendant’s state as deteriorating, with psychotic features and delusional thinking contributing to a distorted desire to retaliate against the victim. Dr. Carroll stated that while mental illness influenced Wijesinghe’s actions, the court must still weigh premeditation and responsibility in sentencing.
Victim impact statements
Colleagues and family members have provided poignant victim impact statements, underscoring the personal and professional toll of the crime. Amanda Mead, a senior staff member, said the events would never leave her and that the defendant was a trusted colleague who betrayed the team in the most violent way. A member of Ms Choden’s family described her as “our heart, our joy, our light,” whose absence casts a profound and ongoing grief over the family. Another Zoo worker spoke of the lasting scar on their mind, noting that they once felt safe and fulfilled at work but now carry the memory of the incident daily.
Responding perspectives: prosecution and defense
The prosecution argued that Wijesinghe’s fixation, planning, and actions demonstrated grave culpability, irrespective of his mental state. “Premeditation shows culpability,” the DPP asserted, pointing to the operative facts that enabled the crime to unfold. In contrast, the defense contended that the crime was integrally connected to Wijesinghe’s mental illness, arguing that delusional thinking and impaired judgment diminished his capacity for normal decision-making. The defense emphasized the need to consider his psychiatric condition within the sentencing narrative.
What comes next
The sentencing hearing before Chief Justice Lucy McCallum is ongoing and will reconvene next week. The court will weigh the evidence of premeditation, the victim impact statements, and the mental health assessments to determine an appropriate sentence that acknowledges both the loss suffered by Tshewang Choden’s family and the wider impact on the zoo community.
Context and significance
The National Zoo and Aquarium case has drawn attention to the complex intersection of mental health and criminal accountability. While mental illness can influence behavior, the court has reiterated the importance of recognizing the elements of planning and intent in cases of violent crime. The outcome will have implications for similar cases in Canberra and across Australia as the judicial system continues to balance compassion, public safety, and justice for victims and their families.
