Murderer who stabbed terrified wife jailed for 26 years

A remorseless killer has been jailed for 26 years for stabbing his defenceless wife to death after she had tried to protect herself and their four children from him.

Jessie James Tumaliuan, 42, looked straight ahead as Victorian Supreme Court Justice Amanda Fox handed down his sentence on Wednesday morning.

He admitted he murdered his wife Czarina Tumaliuan, 42, in the backyard of their Werribee home in Melbourne’s south-west on March 27, 2025.

Tumaliuan arrived at the property about 8.45am, laying in wait in his car as Czarina took their young children to school down the road.

Once she returned and was alone, he forced his way inside using a set of keys he should not have had.

Tumaliuan called his wife abusive names and yelled at her about money, telling her she complained too much and needed to pay up.

Czarina Tumaliuan tried to flee out the back door but he chased her down and used a kitchen knife to stab her eight times to the neck, head, chest and abdomen.

The entire attack lasted 10 seconds, with CCTV footage capturing her screams.

Tumaliuan then dragged his wife’s body to the back door before he sat down and called triple zero twice.

He refused to let paramedics in but co-operated with police when they arrived.

At the time of the murder, Tumaliuan was on bail for breaching a court order and he was previously convicted for criminal damage and unlawful assault.

Justice Fox said it was clear Ms Tumaliuan had taken steps to protect herself and their four young children but he blatantly disregarded them.

“Czarina was unarmed, defenceless and terrified,” the judge said.

“It seems you were motivated by grievances over finances, contempt for police and the court system, and anger that she was living her own life without you.”

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Justice Fox accepted Tumaliuan pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity but found there was no real evidence he was remorseful.

She was also not persuaded by the defence claim that jail would be more difficult for Tumaliuan because of his potential deportation back to the Philippines after his sentence.

The judge noted his parents and siblings lived in Manila, and his four young children were also overseas so he held no ties to Australia.

Justice Fox also said it was difficult to assess Tumaliuan’s prospects of rehabilitation as she had been told very little positive things about him.

He denied having any issues with mental health or illicit substances, and he had a history of violence and contravening court orders, the judge noted.

Justice Fox said the most important consideration in sentencing was denunciation, given the spate of brutal and deadly violence committed by men against their female partners.

She jailed Tumaliuan for 26 years but he will be eligible for parole after 20 years.

- AAP