A 14-year-old boy has paid tribute to his ‘super mum’ who was brutally murdered
The young son of a mother brutally murdered by her estranged husband told a court she was “what you could call a supermum”.
The boy’s touching comments were aired in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday as Jessie James Tumaliuan, 42, faced a pre-sentence hearing for the murder of his wife, Czarina Tumaliuan.
Ms Tumaliuan’s 14-year-old son told the court the family had “lost the most important person in our world”.
“We now have a huge hole in our hearts that cannot be mended. He was our role model, someone we loved and could go to when we were sad or afraid,” he said.
“And now he’s gone and it hurts so much he’s not with us anymore.”
Tumaliuan spoke through a translator only to confirm his name and confess to previous crimes.
During the opening of the indictment, Crown Prosecutor Nadia Kaddeche told the court that Tumaliuan had a “violent history with his ex-wife”, including an attack that resulted in Ms Tumaliuan being hospitalised.
The court was also told Tumaliuan was on bail at the time of the offence.
Ms. Kaddeche said that on the morning of March 27, 2025, Tumaliuan went to Ms. Tumaliuan’s home and began attacking her.
He then chased her around the house with two kitchen knives, eventually catching her and stabbing her eight times in the neck, chest, head, abdomen and arms.
“Ms. Tumaliuan died quickly from these catastrophic injuries,” he said.
“The defendant dragged her body to the back door, sat next to her and called the police. They soon arrived and the defendant was arrested for the murder of Tsarina Tumaliuan.”
Ms Tumaliuan’s mother, Maria Gotencio, told the court “a part of me died with her” as she read her victim impact statement.
“I wake up every day with the weight of knowing he’s gone,” he said.
“Some mornings I forget for a moment and then reality sinks in again.”
Ms. Gotencio said she has taken on the responsibility of caring for her four grandchildren, who “will now grow up without their mother’s love, without her voice, without her comfort and protection.”
“They will reach milestones, graduations, weddings, birthdays [sic]and it won’t be there anymore,” he said.
Judge Amanda Claire Fox postponed the sentence for about two weeks, noting that he had already been detained for 417 days.
Tumaliuan’s defense lawyers also stated that Tumaliuan will likely be deported to the Philippines after his sentence.
Domestic Violence helplines
