By: Sarah Farnsworth
The four children of a mother murdered by their father at a busy shopping centre at Sunshine in Melbourne’s west two years ago have told a court of their unbearable grief.
Fiona Warzywoda had finalised a intervention order against her partner of 18 years, Craig McDermott, when he stabbed her in broad daylight after she left her solicitor’s office.
In May, a Supreme Court jury found McDermott, 39, guilty of murdering Ms Warzywoda, rejecting his argument of self-defence.
McDermott sat emotionless as victim impact statements from his children, who now live with their uncle, were read out in court.
One daughter told the court she slept with her mother’s jacket on the night she died.
“It hurt my heart,” she said.
“Mum can’t take me to school anymore,” said another
“It took not only my mum but my best friend away.”
Ms Warzywoda’s sister told the court how she broke the news to the children.
“Your mum has gone and its daddy’s fault,” she told them.
Children struggling to sleep and eat, court hears
The court heard the children were struggling to sleep and eat, and still missed their old home and friends.
Prosecutor Brendan Kissane said the murder of Ms Warzywoda was aggravated by its public nature and because Ms Warzywoda had only just finalised the intervention order to protect herself.
“He breached it in a spectacular fashion,” he told the court.
“Moving quickly towards her armed with a knife as soon as he sees her.”
McDermott’s lawyer, John Desmond, said it was as “a relatively spontaneous” murder and said there was no evidence that his client was armed with a knife when he approached her.
The suggestion was rejected by sentencing judge, Justice Jane Dixon.
“It appears to me he was armed, furious and boiling mad,” she said.
McDermott will be sentenced at a later date.
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This post originally appeared on ABC News.
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Poor babies :(