The bodybuilder Sven Lindemann may spend the next 31 years behind bars for the May 2023 murder of Monique Lezsak in Melbourne. The 52-year-old viciously attacked Lezsak, stabbing her 17 times with six different knives. Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth of the Supreme Court found that wrath, jealousy, and entitlement were Lindemann’s driving forces.
The judge said, as a stepfather, Lindemann should have shielded Lily and her twin brother from danger, but instead, he put them through a horrible nightmare.
For Lindemann, it was a “rational act” but was driven by envy and “unwillingness to allow his partner to move on with her life, according to Justice Hollingworth.
Lindemann had already admitted to killing Lezsak and deliberately hurting her daughter Lily (a pseudonym to protect her identity), who was ten years old. Lindemann would have faced a 37-year prison term in all had he not pleaded guilty. His release date is set for when he becomes 77 years old at the latest. He has essentially given himself a life sentence when he callously took the life of another.
Previous hearings revealed graphic details, including Lily seeing the dragging of Lezsak from the bedroom to the kitchen after the breakage of Lindemann’s knife. There were a total of six knives used by Lindemann in the assault; Lezsak was wounded seven times by stabbing and ten times by slicing; Lily was wounded five times. Lily reportedly disarmed Lindemann twice before dialing triple-0; her twin brother was apparently in another room throughout the incident.
This information was presented to the court.
Additionally, Justice Hollingworth lauded Lily’s courage in her efforts to save her mother. This past month, while adjourning the case for punishment, Justice Hollingworth said that Lindemann had done the “terrible” deed after a day of “seething.” She scolded Lindemann for his incoherent sobbing in court and told him to stop.