CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses distressing content.
A 29-year-old man has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing a female colleague to death in a kitchen at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra.
Sous chef Jude Wijesinghe was arrested and transported to hospital with alleged self inflicted wounds under police guard on Monday.
ACT police said Wijesinghe and the victim were coworkers at the zoo, but it was unknown whether they had a relationship outside of work.
Police said he was charged at a bedside hearing today. He was refused bail and would reappear in court on 4th April.
The woman, who has not yet been publicly identified, was found dead by police responding to reports of a disturbance on Monday afternoon. The Royal Bhutanese Embassy confirmed she was a Bhutanese national in a statement, but said it could not provide more information while an investigation was ongoing.
She was allegedly stabbed to death in a storeroom at the back of the kitchen.
Detective Superintendent Hall O’Meagher said witnesses reported hearing “loud screams”.
“At this stage, it looks like she’s been stabbed to death with a knife,” he said.
“At this point in time, our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim and the fellow workers at the National Zoo & Aquarium.”
A spokesperson for the zoo said it would remain closed out of respect to those affected.
“Tours and encounters will be cancelled for the day and we hope that we will be ready to resume operations on Wednesday,” they said in a statement.
“We request that visitors and guests recognise the significant trauma that staff have experienced and that they respect their need for privacy on this matter.”
Police said there was no further threat to the community.
Help is available
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
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