Warning: The story’s content may cause distress to some readers.
A man, Mesh Kumar, has been pleading guilty to attempted murder and two counts of failing to carry out obligations under search powers in court documents.
Kumar entered a McDonald’s restaurant in Mt Roskill in January, having arranged to meet his wife, whom he had been married to for about 18 years before they separated. Kumar had not seen her or his children in four months before the attack.
After concealing the knife in his pants pocket, Kumar entered the McDonald’s alone.
Kumar convinced his wife to enter the restaurant, saying her children were across the road. When he began asking her to accept a lower divorce settlement offer, she did not want to talk about it.
At this point, Kumar revealed a nude photograph of his wife he kept on his phone, saying he would show others the photo if she did not accept the lower offer.
Kumar continued to attack his wife, holding her down while he slashed at her neck and body. He spoke to his wife in Gujarati, telling her she had wrecked his life and lost his children. The attack lasted seven minutes and 44 seconds, and Kumar only stopped after police arrived.
Kumars wife suffered multiple penetrating wounds to her neck, throat, left ear, the back of her head, and upper chest area, as well as multiple lacerations and defensive wounds to her hands and arms.
Court documents reveal that her injuries were so severe that she needed to be admitted to the theatre so they could be repaired.
Kumar told authorities his wife was asking for too much money in the divorce settlement. He claimed that if she died and he went to jail, everything would go to the kids.
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