The man responsible for a brutal stabbing murder at Canberra’s zoo in December 2023 has pleaded guilty in the ACT Supreme Court today.
Warning: This story contains graphic details.
Jude Wijesinghe, 31, was to have faced trial later this year on a single charge of murder, after Tshewang Choden was stabbed to death in a storeroom in the kitchen area where they both worked.
Court documents have revealed the dramatic moment when staff found Wijesinghe covered in blood, sitting in the storeroom.
They’d come running when they heard screams but at first were unable to get into the storeroom.
Wijesinghe then came out holding the knife, as the other staff fled.
By the time more people arrived Wijesinghe was on the ground having injured himself.
He was disarmed when a co-worker stood on his wrist to make him drop the knife.
Ms Choden was found in the storeroom.
She had been stabbed 14 times, with the fatal blows to the neck and chest.
‘Prettiest name in the world’
Court materials reveal Wijesinghe had worked in the kitchen for a year-and-a-half where he met Ms Choden.
In June 2023, Wijesinghe sent Ms Choden a message saying she had the “prettiest name in the world”.
But when he asked her out for dinner when they were both free she declined.
When Ms Choden began dating someone else, she told others that Wijesinghe began to be moody towards her and if other males spoke to her he would get mad and stop talking to her.
The pair had worked together on the same shift, but by the time of the murder Ms Choden was doing morning shifts, with Wijesinghe working later.
On the day of the murder Wijesinghe and Ms Choden were in the kitchen with another colleague who left soon afterwards.
It was shortly after this that workers nearby heard the first screams, and went running to see what was happening.
Wijesinghe had worked in the kitchen at the zoo for 18 months. (Supplied: National Zoo and Aquarium)
The court documents show in the lead up to the murder Wijesinghe began telling people he was moving back to Sri Lanka, even selling his car.
He also wrote letters to friends and relations and sent text messages to say goodbye.
Wijesinghe was rushed to hospital after the incident, where he was later charged with murder.
He was to have faced trial later this year, but today that was set aside as he pleaded guilty.
Wijesinghe will face a sentencing hearing in October.
