Jul 08, 2020

Elderly man mentally unfit to stand trial for wife’s murder

 

A 74-year-old man has been declared mentally unfit to face trial for the stabbing death of his wife at their Merrylands home in Sydney’s western suburbs.

Father-of-three, Vincenzo Coluccio allegedly stabbed his wife Elia Coluccio while she slept before washing the knife and driving himself to the Merrylands police station where he told officers that “something terrible” happened.

Mr Coluccio had been in custody for more than five months following the night of his 63-year-old wife’s death, but he will not face trial for her murder after being declared mentally unfit by a judge who examined multiple expert medical reports.

Reports claim that one psychologist concluded that Mr Coluccio had a substantial mental impairment and mild intellectual disability, while another psychologist believed that Mr Coluccio was unsure about whether he was was was dead or alive.

It is believed that Mr. Coluccio was also fearful that his wife was “setting him up” and it is alleged that he also made claims that he believed that his wife had been cheating on him and that his children were mocking him.

“I am not satisfied that Mr Coluccio is capable of following the trial, understanding the evidence or instructing his lawyers,” said NSW Supreme Court Justice Robert Allan Hulme.

“I am also not satisfied that he can comprehend the defences open to him.”

Mr Coluccio listened to the judgment through an interpreter but remained silent throughout.

Although declared unfit for trial, Mr Coluccio will remain in custody until further order by the Mental health Review Tribunal.

 

Photo credit – iStock – SonerCdem

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

How Australians kept cool in heatwaves before modern technology

From sleeping outdoors in parks and beaches to enjoying ice blocks and shortened work shifts, Australians found creative ways to cope with the extreme heat. Read More

Isolation presents another coronavirus concern

Many older people ageing in place have been entirely on their own for months. For those in residential care, a large number of them living with dementia, this isolation has also been particularly hard. Many have been asked to stay alone, isolating in their rooms, visits from family banned or severely curtailed. Read More

Aged care residents become literary editors

A innovative new program seeks to provide aged care residents with reading material, and the added stimulation of providing feedback to writers. Pages for Wisdom pairs residents in aged care facilities with new and established writers, offering the opportunity for residents to provide feedback on works in progress. Read More
Advertisement
Exit mobile version