Alleged Canberra zoo murderer Jude Wijesinghe committed for trial

The chef accused of murdering Tshewang Choden at Canberra’s zoo six months ago has been committed for trial.

Jude Luckshan Wijesinghe is accused of stabbing his 29-year-old co-worker from Bhutan to death at the National Zoo & Aquarium on 18 December, 2023.

The ACT Magistrates Court previously heard the 29-year-old was to undergo a psychiatric assessment before he returned to court on Monday (1 July), appearing over audiovisual link from custody.

His Legal Aid lawyer sought an adjournment, saying she was seeking a supplementary report that would assist in providing advice to her client.

However, Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker said she didn’t see much value in delaying the proceedings as the matter would be sent to the ACT Supreme Court in any regard.

She committed the matter for trial, adjourned to the higher court for a mention on 10 July and remanded Mr Wijesinghe in custody.

Region has previously reported that it had been alleged he had been seen on closed-circuit television footage at the zoo’s Jamala Wildlife Lodge around midday, shortly before a witness heard screaming.

The witness ran to where he thought the screams were coming from, a storeroom at the lodge, but a screen door into it was locked.

He tried to open the door but couldn’t, so he sought assistance from colleagues. They returned to find a door open and a person allegedly holding a knife with what was believed to be blood on it inside the room.

Some of the colleagues quickly left, but the first witness turned back and allegedly recognised it to be Mr Wijesinghe, whom he knew as a chef at the wildlife lodge, standing in the room.

It is alleged Mr Wijesinghe was holding a knife, and the witness thought both of his hands appeared to be covered in blood.

When police arrived, they found Ms Choden was dead in a storeroom at the back of the kitchen. It is believed she died after suffering stab wounds.

Mr Wijesinghe was taken to hospital with allegedly self-inflicted injuries while officers went to his home in Oaks Estate, where they reportedly saw a half-empty box of the rodent bait Ratsak on the kitchen table.

The box allegedly contained a green substance similar to what had been seen coming out of Mr Wijesinghe’s mouth.

Police also found what appeared to be a large amount of blood stains in and just outside the wildlife lodge’s storeroom, as well as a plastic water bottle with a liquid, suspected to be Ratsak, inside it.

Mr Wijesinghe pleaded not guilty to his murder charge.