Jude Wijesinghe has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the stabbing murder of Tshewang Choden in 2023, a crime he committed while working at the National Zoo and Aquarium. The court imposed a non-parole period of 20 years at the time of sentencing.

Recently, Wijesinghe’s sentence was reduced by three and a half years, and his non-parole period was shortened by two years. The specific reasons for this recent decision have not yet been disclosed.

In a tragic incident, Wijesinghe confessed to fatally stabbing Choden 14 times after luring her into a storeroom at the zoo located in Canberra. The ACT Supreme Court Chief Justice, Lucy McCallum, characterized the act as premeditated and described it as “murderous violence.” This case resulted in one of the most significant sentences handed down in the ACT, although Chief Justice McCallum refrained from imposing a life sentence.

During the proceedings, the court acknowledged Wijesinghe’s mental health issues, which were seen as providing some context for his actions and reducing his moral culpability. However, these factors were deemed insufficient to warrant a reduction in the overall sentence due to the severity of the crime.

Following his conviction, the 32-year-old Wijesinghe appealed the sentence, contending that the court had not adequately considered his mental impairment in its sentencing decision. The ACT Court of Appeal subsequently reviewed the case and modified the original sentence to 26 years and six months in prison. Additionally, his non-parole period was adjusted from 20 years to 18 years, allowing him the possibility of release in 2041 rather than 2043.

The appeal was deliberated by Justices Darryl Rangiah, Andrew Muller, and Jon White, with their reasoning for the decision still pending publication.