Father pleads guilty to Werribee backyard murder of his estranged wife

A man who stabbed his defenceless wife to death and then called emergency services has pleaded guilty to murder.

Father of four Jessie James Tumaliuan, 42, accepted a sentence indication of 20 years as he pleaded guilty in the Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday morning.

His wife, Czarina Tumaliuan, was found stabbed to death in the backyard of a Werribee home in Melbourne’s west on March 27, 2025.

Tumaliuan’s barrister, Chris Hooper, previously told the court the couple had separated before the murder, but his client continued to attend their home.

On the day of the killing, Tumaliuan used a key to enter the home, intending to verbally confront his wife about money, Mr Hooper said.

CCTV footage captured some of the murder, including Ms Tumaliuan’s screams as she ran into the backyard. Ten seconds later, the video went quiet.

Mr Hooper said his client accepted that the woman was unarmed, while he had equipped himself with a knife.

“No fault is laid at her feet at all,” he said.

“She was defenceless and there were multiple stab wounds.”

But he said Tumaliuan had not visited the house with murderous intent as he was initially unarmed.

“Circumstances occurred off-camera ... where his intention was not to kill, but to cause really serious injury, that’s his position,” Mr Hooper said.

Tumaliuan called Triple Zero for assistance three times, the court was told.

Prosecutor Nadia Kaddeche said an assault occurred inside the home before the victim ran outside, and she could be heard saying she had been hurt.

“There is no desisting from when she goes outside and it (the assault) continues not on camera, around the side of the house,” Ms Kaddeche said.

Justice Amanda Fox indicated to Tumaliuan she would sentence him to up to 26 years behind bars if he pleaded guilty to murder.

He would have to serve 20 years of that sentence before becoming eligible for parole, she said.

Tumaliuan’s sentence will be formally decided following pre-sentence hearings later in the year. He appeared distressed after hearing the sentence and refused to stand as Justice Fox exited the courtroom.

However, after discussing the matter with his lawyer, Tumaliuan accepted the sentence indication as he pleaded guilty to one count of murder on Wednesday.

“Guilty, your honour,” he said, as he stood in the court dock.

Tumaliuan’s trial, which was set to begin in early February, was vacated. He was taken back to prison and will return to court on March 13 for a pre-sentence hearing.

National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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