A man who stabbed his former partner six times in broad daylight in front of shocked onlookers outside a Sunshine shopping centre, later claiming it was self-defence, has been found guilty of murder.
Craig McDermott, 39, showed no emotion as a jury of five women and seven men unanimously found he had murdered Fiona Warzywoda, 33, a day after a court refused him access to their children.
Ms Warzywoda had been to the magistrates’ court earlier that day to obtain an intervention order against McDermott and the pair had left the court at about the same time.
She then went to her solicitor’s office as McDermott lay in wait.
Ms Warzywoda was returning to her car after seeing her solicitor when she was attacked by McDermott.
Self-defence claim
McDermott had maintained the brutal murder was in fact Ms Warzywoda’s fault, claiming the mother of his four children was the one armed with the knife and he had only wanted to speak to her.
In court, Ms Warzywoda’s family members broke down in tears as the verdict was read.
Outside the court, Ms Warzywoda’s brother Paul Judge shook as he read from a prepared statement on behalf of the family, urging other family violence victims to seek help.
“There’s more and more help out there, so please do something to receive some,” he said.
“Fiona can now go on and rest in peace.”
The Supreme Court had earlier heard McDermott struggled with Ms Warzywoda, his former partner of 18 years, and stabbed her six times on April 16, 2014.
Crown prosecutor Brendan Kissane, QC, had told the jury McDermott had murderous intent when he confronted Ms Warzywoda in broad daylight in front of dozens of shoppers.
“Clearly this was not an accident,” Mr Kissane said.
“If you stab someone six times, you intend to kill them … and you don’t stab somebody six times believing that it’s necessary to do that to defend yourself.”
McDermott will be sentenced at a later date.
Ms Warzywoda’s family has established a trust fund on behalf of her four children.
By Mark Russell and Bianca Hall
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