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A court has heard a Melbourne man had stopped taking medication for his schizophrenia and was suffering a psychotic episode when he randomly and fatally stabbed a French tourist in the neck in a remote part of the Northern Territory in 2016.
In November 2016, Philippe Jegouzo and his wife Aurelie arrived in the Northern Territory and were travelling towards Alice Springs when they were attacked at a rest stop along the Stuart Highway.
Mr Jegouzo and his wife were making coffee at a fold-up table, around 100km north of Alice Springs.
Pande Veleski was travelling from Melbourne, when he pulled into the same rest stop.
“He (Mr Veleski) took a pair of scissors from his car, Mr Jegouzo was sitting with his back to the accused,” the agreed facts of the case read.
“When he was about five metres away, Mr Jegouzo turned to say hello and without warning, Mr Veleski stabbed him more than 20 times.”
Mrs Jegouzo threw the fold up table at Veleski, but it did little.
Her husband died 40 minutes later, after his killer had escaped.
Veleski fled to a nearby Indigenous community, where he was refused entry.
He thought he had to kill someone to “save the world” and that Aboriginal people would support him in his plan to start a civil war once he got to Darwin.
He was arrested the following morning, naked in bushland.
Mr Jegouzo’s devastated family told the court the couple would spend six months working to save money and travel for next half of the year.
The family travelled from France for today’s hearing, reading statements to the court.
His sister Sylviane Chatry recalled the moment she learned of her brother’s murder.
“It was 7.30pm and my phone rang. My mother told me ‘your brother has been killed by scissors’,” she told the court.
“I’m here today to be in front of the man who is causing so much pain.”
His twin sister Isabelle had a statement read for her.
“I’m here despite my complete inability to understand your language, to show my love for Phillipe,” it said.
“He had done nothing. His only fault, having said hello.
“This person I don’t know hasn’t just killed someone. He’s devastated an entire family.”
Mrs Jegouzo remains in France with her parents.
The court heard she hasn’t been able to work since her husband’s death and has shut herself off from the outside world.
The victim’s parents blame Veleski’s doctor for their son’s death.
“What was he still doing in freedom? If his doctor had done his job, Philippe would still be alive.”
Veleski pleaded not guilty by reason of mental impairment to murder, badaulting two police officers and attempting to escape custody.
He’ll spend the next 20 years behind bars.
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2018
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