Jeremaia Tuwai murdered his 21-year-old former partner Nunia Wasakitoga Kurualeba during a violent 15-minute struggle in July 2024 after she tried to leave the abusive relationship.
Ms Kurualeba would have been terrified throughout the ordeal, NSW Supreme Court Justice Stephen Campbell said on Friday in sentencing her 23-year-old killer.
"She was conscious and would have seen the offender raise the knife above his head in preparation for delivering the fatal stab wound," he wrote in his decision.
"This would have been terrifying."
Tuwai's motivation was jealousy and anger because Ms Kurualeba wanted to leave their abusive relationship and perhaps form a new one back in Fiji, the judge wrote.
"This is the ultimate form of coercive controlling behaviour."
After pleading guilty to murder, he received a discounted head sentence of 21 years backdated to the date of his arrest.
His non-parole period of 15 years and nine months will expire in April 2040.
The pair, who were second cousins from Fiji, commenced an intimate relationship soon after August 2023 eventually living together in a western Sydney apartment.
Tuwai's jealousy increased, the violence escalated, he threatened to kill her, and monitored her phone and social media use.
The day before the murder, the couple had a violent argument and Tuwai was kicked out of the home with his belongings.
Ms Kurualeba formed a plan to return to Fiji.
Tuwai returned to the Kingswood apartment but found she was not there.
"Start saying goodbye to your family. Until we meet again RIP," he texted her.
The following morning, despite her mother's advice not to return home, Ms Kurualeba went to collect her belongings along with two cousins.
Tuwai was there with a kitchen knife hidden under a pillow.
Ms Kurualeba tried to flee but Tuwai dragged her back into the house, locking the bedroom door behind them.
He opened the door and punched her five times in the head, knocking her to the ground, before stabbing her twice.
This was done in the presence of Ms Kurualeba's cousin Adivika Tinai.
Ms Tinai struggled with Tuwai, eventually disarming him of the knife before he fled by jumping off the balcony.
Ms Kurualeba was still conscious, uttering "I want to live" as she was moved into the living room.
Paramedics tried to give her medical assistance but she died at the scene.
Tuwai was arrested that evening, trying to die by suicide in the garage of his previous home.
Justice Campbell found he had shown genuine remorse for his actions.
In a letter to the court, he apologised to Ms Kurualeba's family, saying he had no right to harm her or anybody else.
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