Boyfriend who used a pair of pants to strangle girlfriend, 31, just weeks after she had brain surgery is jailed for 22 years
- Shea Sturt, 33, stabbed his girlfriend and strangled her with pants in June 2019
- Caitlin O'Brien was recovering from a brain operation when she was attacked
- Sturt was sentenced to 22 years jail in Victoria's Supreme Court on Wednesday
A murderer who strangled his girlfriend with a pair of pants just weeks after she underwent brain surgery has been jailed for 22 years.
Shea Sturt, 33, was in a drug-induced psychotic state when he killed 31-year-old Caitlin O'Brien at their Melbourne home in June 2019.
Ms O'Brien, a nurse who had a brain tumour removed a month earlier, was stabbed with scissors, smothered with a pillow and strangled with tracksuit pants.
Caitlin O'Brien, 31, (pictured) was stabbed with a pair of scissors and strangled with a pair of pants by her boyfriend Shea Sturt, 33, at their Melbourne home in June 2019
Sturt (pictured) was sentenced to 22 years jail in Victoria's Supreme Court on Wednesday
Sturt, who was violent toward Ms O'Brien throughout their relationship, had been having delusions before the murder, believing he was Jesus and that his neighbours were worshipping Satan.
The pair had been together since they were teens and Sturt had a prior conviction for assaulting her in 2010 and in 2017
Ms O'Brien said Sturt had been violent toward her for seven out of their 10 years they'd been together.
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On June 23 last year, during a discussion about the end of the world, Sturt attacked Ms O'Brien.
He ripped off her pants to see if he 'still felt anything' for her and held her down but she managed to get away and ran to the bathroom clutching a pair of scissors.
However Sturt overpowered her and stabbed her repeatedly before smothering her with a pillow.
He tied tracksuit pants around her neck, showered and placed her credit card on her chest before leaving.
Sturt went into the city and spoke to police outside Flinders Street Station, confessing he had killed Ms O'Brien.
He told police he'd been manic for a few days. When officers told him he'd be charged with murder he replied 'cool'.
About a month before she died Ms O'Brien had a brain tumour removed (pictured) but always lived in fear of her violent and increasingly erratic boyfriend
Justice Beale told the Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday that Sturt was remorseful for his actions against Ms O'Brien and this episode was different because of the drug-induced psychosis.
Justice Beale said the drug use wasn't an aggravating feature of the crime because he couldn't be satisfied Sturt knew his cannabis use would cause the psychosis.
Sturt told doctors using cannabis was 'like a cure-all' and it 'made me treat Cait better'.
Justice Beale said it wasn't Sturt's fault he had a schizo-type disorder, but said there were other ways he could have treated his anxiety.
He found there was a reasonable prospect Sturt could be rehabilitated.
Outside court Martine O'Brien said the family lost two people on the day her sister died and she hoped Sturt gets the help he needs.
She said she wants Ms O'Brien's legacy as a nurse to live on and they hope to work with hospitals to honour her memory.
Sturt will be be eligible for parole after serving 16 years.
Sturt (pictured) said he was remorseful for murdering his girlfriend while in a drug-induced psychotic state
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