A Victorian killer claims his wine had been drugged the night he murdered the mother of a school friend while her husband listened helplessly on the phone.
Sigaragh "Steve" Baea, 22, of Lara, has pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing Prasad Somawansa, 48, in her Hoppers Crossing home on February 18, then leaving her for dead because "she was already down".
Following his arrest, Baea told police he stabbed Mrs Somawansa because he "got angry" when she asked him to leave her home after he returned because he thought he had left his Myki card there.
When he arrived home on the night of February 18 he told his stepfather he believed he had been drugged by two Sudanese men he met in a park, according to a statement tendered in court.
Tony Cardona told police Baea said he had been drinking wine with the men in a park in Tarneit.
"He then told me that the next thing he remembered was that he was getting up off the ground at the park and they must have drugged his wine."
Baea, however, admitted in his record of interview he stabbed the mother of his primary school friend Wishhasad Somawansa after spending the afternoon at their home.
"They told me to piss off. And I - I got angry about that and I stabbed her," he said.
"I stabbed her multiple times ... because I got angry.
"I get angry very easily."
Wishhasad Somawansa was not at home when his mother was killed, police say, but her husband had called around the time of the murder.
In his statement to police, Priyantha Hewage said he had called his wife of 22 years around 8.15pm but after the call connected she didn't speak to him.
Instead, he heard her say, "You go out, you go out, you go out."
"She sounded scared as she said this," Mr Hewage said.
"I then heard her yelling, `Dos, dos, dos', and then making loud deep breathing noises before the phone then cut off."
He said he immediately knew something was wrong and his wife was in a dangerous situation.
"I believed that someone was inside the house and she was telling them to leave."
Mr Hewage said he did not know why anybody would want to hurt his wife who was a clean-living woman who loved and cared for her family.
"I love my wife very much and have had a very long and happy marriage with her," Mr Hewage said.
"I am just so sad and just wish that I had been home to look after her."
Baea will face a directions hearing in the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday.
