A Samoan father-of-five, consumed by what a judge described as 'morbid jealousy' over a completely unfounded suspicion, brutally murdered his wife in a frenzied knife attack in his brother's garden. The horrific assault occurred just weeks after the family had emigrated from New Zealand to start a new life together in Australia.
Fatal attack witnessed by children
Rimoni Muliaga, aged 44, repeatedly plunged a large kitchen knife into his 37-year-old wife Lise in the backyard of his brother's bungalow in Melton South, on the outskirts of Melbourne, on 18 September 2023. Three of their young children, aged 12, seven and five, witnessed the horrific assault and its shocking aftermath, which has left them traumatised for life.
Judge condemns 'act of serious domestic violence'
On Wednesday, Supreme Court of Victoria Justice James Gorton denounced Muliaga for the murder, characterising the killing as 'an act of the most serious domestic violence against an innocent and unarmed woman' that 'warrants serious condemnation'. The judge directly addressed Muliaga in court, stating: 'You stabbed your wife, Lise, multiple times with a kitchen knife. You did so in front of your children in the backyard of your brother's house.'
Justice Gorton emphasised that Muliaga stabbed his wife because he mistakenly believed she was having an affair with his brother - a suspicion he had nurtured for some time despite it being entirely baseless. The attack followed an argument that morning after Muliaga accused his wife of the affair, which intensified when she returned from a walk.
Details of the brutal assault
The court heard that Muliaga attacked his wife with the knife, stabbing her four times - twice to the right shoulder, once to the left upper chest and once to the left breast. The fatal wound was a 9.5cm stab to the upper chest that cut through two ribs, transected two major blood vessels, caused massive blood loss, perforated the chest cavity and damaged a lung.
Mrs Muliaga fought desperately for her life, suffering defensive knife cuts to her arms as she tried to fend off the attack. 'It was a frightening and violent death,' Justice Gorton told the court. When family members rushed to the backyard after hearing screams, they discovered Mrs Muliaga sitting on the ground with the knife still protruding from her shoulder, bleeding profusely, with Muliaga standing over her.
Aftermath and arrest
Muliaga fled up the street but was arrested nearby with blood still on his hands. He later insisted to police: 'Lise and (his brother) were sleeping together.' Despite his brother calling emergency services and performing CPR, Mrs Muliaga was declared dead at 2.33pm after briefly regaining a heartbeat.
The court heard that Muliaga repeatedly asked police for his 'mental health medication' and said he hadn't taken it since the previous day. Justice Gorton noted that Muliaga appeared genuinely shocked and distressed when told his wife had died, even asking to call her.
Background and mental health considerations
The court heard extensive details about Muliaga's background and mental state. Born in Samoa in 1981, one of nine children, he experienced a troubled upbringing involving physical abuse. He was found to have a low IQ of just 61, positioning him in the bottom 0.5 per cent of the population and satisfying the criteria for intellectual disability, alongside impaired executive functioning and inflexible thinking.
Muliaga had a background of mental health problems, including depression with psychotic features and a previous diagnosis of schizophrenia in New Zealand. A forensic psychiatrist who evaluated him determined he suffered from a major depressive disorder rather than schizophrenia. Whilst the court found this condition diminished his moral culpability, Justice Gorton emphasised it did not excuse the crime, stating that Muliaga knew what he was doing was wrong.
Previous violent behaviour
The court was informed of Muliaga's previous violent behaviour towards Lise, including an incident where his brother discovered him on top of her and another where his sister-in-law witnessed him with his hand around her neck. Their children, now managing with the support of family, submitted victim impact statements stating they faced life without their mother and the trauma of knowing their father murdered her.
Sentencing and consequences
Justice Gorton sentenced Muliaga to 24 years in prison with a non-parole period of 18 years and six months. He has already served 919 days in pre-sentence detention. The judge observed that the attack was spontaneous, not premeditated, but completely unprovoked. The fact that three children witnessed their mother's violent death was an aggravating factor that increased the objective seriousness of the offence.
A jury convicted Muliaga of murder in December following a trial in which he acknowledged the stabbing but disputed his intent. Justice Gorton sentenced Muliaga on the basis that he stabbed his wife with the intention of 'causing really serious injury', without caring whether she lived or died. Muliaga, who is not an Australian citizen, is likely to face deportation upon release from prison.
