A DEVONPORT man who brutally stabbed his wife to death says he still loves her dearly.
Hilton Stanford Jelliman, 29, has pleaded guilty to murdering Erika Jelliman on January 23.Jelliman killed his wife, a doctor at the Mersey Community Hospital, in their Devonport home as her teenage son and mother returned to the house.
Dr Jelliman was stabbed 28 times, with the tip of the knife breaking off in one of her ribs.
"It's a big struggle for me. I can never forgive myself for what's happened. I love Erika very dearly," Jelliman said.
Jelliman claims his wife had another lover, used drugs and was taunting him.
Giving evidence before Justice Ewan Crawford in the Supreme Court at Burnie yesterday, Jelliman said shortly before killing his wife, she came towards him telling him he was useless and would not be able to kill himself.
Jelliman conceded his memory of the stabbing was hazy.
"The colours faded fr! om the room and I went into a frenzy," he said. "I remember I was very upset. I lashed out
at her."
The prosecution, however, suggested this was untrue and that Jelliman was trying to blacken his wife's name with tales of infidelity and drugs.
It revealed Jelliman had made inquiries about increasing his wife's life insurance before he killed her.
Prosecutor Daryl Coates also asked Jelliman about claims made by defence counsel about the family being forced to leave South Africa and Queensland because of drug problems involving Dr Jelliman.
He questioned Jelliman about what had led to them leaving Queensland, saying that despite his claim of drug abuse, Dr Jelliman had received glowing references.
He also pressed Jelliman on the so-called "successful business" Jelliman said he had been forced to leave in Queensland. Tax returns were presented to the court that showed Jelliman earned just $444 in one year! , and $4571 the next.
"The account of being in al! l this t rouble and you having to leave a successful business was just to blacken her name," Mr Coates said.
Jelliman denied the main reason for the strain on the relationship had been his drinking problem and inability to hold a job.
"The major source of friction, I would suggest, was your drinking and the fact you couldn't hold down a job," Mr Coates said.
Jelliman said: "It was part of the problem, but she had another lover".
Jelliman said he had inquired about doubling his wife's life insurance to $1 million because she was taking risks such as sky diving.
Mr Coates said the insurance query was an indication that Jelliman was planning to kill his wife.
In questioning from defence counsel Tamara Jago, Jelliman said he did not mean to hurt his wife.
"I just wanted her to leave me alone," Jelliman said.
Ms Jago asked whether he recalled harming himself.
"Yes, I wanted to d! ie, not in that fashion, but I wanted to continue with what I was doing," he said.
Jelliman was remanded in custody for sentencing on October 17.
Source: http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,22523488-5007221,00.html
Online Home Based Business
No comments:
Post a Comment