A Woonona man who stabbed his girlfriend to death in an act of "horrific and inexplicable violence" has been sentenced to almost 27 years behind bars.
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Petero Baleinapuka denied killing Angela O'Donnell in a bloody and ferocious stabbing attack inside her Woonona home on New Year's Eve in 2019.
However, a jury took just 70 minutes to find the 58-year-old guilty of murder following a trial in January this year.
In the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, Judge Desmond Fagan said Baleinapuka maintaining his innocence "in the face of overwhelming evidence" was bordering on "delusional".
He described the frenzied stabbing as "savage and relentless" and said it was evident Baleinapuka's actions carried an intent to kill, however the motive for the fatal attack still remained a mystery.
"There's no evidence of conflict, verbal or physical, between the offender and the deceased prior to New Year's Eve 2019," he said, adding the evidence before the court did not establish why Baleinapuka had a "sudden eruption into lethal rage" that evening.
"What sparked his violence is not [known]," he said.
The court heard Baleinapuka and Ms O'Donnell visited one of Ms O'Donnell's aunts during the day before going to buy swimmers, cigarettes then alcohol at a Woonona bottle shop.
Later that night they visited two licensed venues before catching an Uber back to Ms O'Donnell's Campbell Street unit about 9.20pm.
Jurors were played an audio recording captured on a neighbour's CCTV system in which Ms O'Donnell could be heard yelling "Petero, Petero, oh my god, f---" before Baleinapuka said in an angry tone, "what do you want".
Ms O'Donnell said, "look at me, look at me" before screaming.
Justice Fagan found Baleinapuka used two knives to stab Ms O'Donnell 14 times in the face, neck, chest and abdomen.
Three of the wounds caused "massive and rapid blood loss", Justice Fagan said.
Baleinapuka then bandaged the cuts on his hands and drank several bottles of beer before he left the apartment.
He drove Ms O'Donnell's car down the road before police patrolling the area spotted him due to his erratic driving and went to pull him over.
He tried to drive off but crashed a short time later and was arrested, telling officers "I just killed my girlfriend".
Police attended Ms O'Donnell's home a short time later and discovered her lifeless body in the lounge room.
When interviewed, Baleiunapuka initially admitted to having stabbed Ms O'Donnell five times, however changed his story when he testified in his trial, telling the court he had been outside when Ms O'Donnell was killed and did not know who had inflicted the fatal wounds.
In court on Friday, Justice Fagan said Baleinapuka had grown up in a loving, deeply religious family in his native Fiji and had come to Australia in 2015 on a working visa.
He said Baleinapuka had no other matters on his criminal record, but said his refusal to accept responsibility for his crime meant his prospects of rehabilitation were guarded.
"The court holds a concern for what degree of unpredictable danger the offender might hold to the community... upon his release," he said.
He sentenced Baleinapuka to an overall term of 26 years and 8 months, with a non-parole period of 20 years.
Baleinapuka spent the entire proceedings with his head in his hands and sobbed when Ms O'Donnell's family read out victim impact statements detailing their grief and sadness at her death.
Ms O'Donnell's oldest brother, Kevin Arrow, told the court his sister's murder was "the stuff nightmares are made of".
"She lost her life in the most violent way imaginable," he said.
"It was a savage, murderous act."
With time served, Baleinapuka will be come eligible to apply for parole in December 2039.
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