Lezsak’s friend Jacqueline Schwarcz said she had always struggled to come to terms with her grief
“Without sounding too dramatic, it’s ruined our lives, things have changed overnight,” she said.
“The penalty is not harsh enough to scare these men into double thinking their actions.”
Schwarcz said the killer’s claims of good behaviour haven’t convinced her there is any merit to his appeal.
“First I laughed, I cannot even understand how a human being can be wired like this,” she said. “It’s ‘the Sven show’ and he’ll do anything he can to make it about him”
Jacqueline Schwarcz, a close friend of Monique Lezsak, speaking outside the court.Credit: Wayne Taylor
During Lindemann’s trial, the court heard that Lezsak’s daughter told Lindemann to “leave my mother alone” as he shouted at Lezsak: “You’ve ruined my life.”
After the attack, Lindemann transferred $71,000 between bank accounts, tried to call his ex-wife and then turned the knife on himself. Hollingworth labelled the money transfer “particularly calculated”.
Lezsak’s daughter rang triple zero and told police her mother had been injured. “Please help me. My mum is dead,” she said on the phone, crying. “Stay with me, Mum, stay with me.”
When police arrived, Lezsak’s daughter was found sitting next to her mother, covered in her blood.
Lindemann, who has a tattoo of Jesus on the left side of his neck, didn’t react as his sentence was read out. In a previous hearing, Hollingworth told Lindemann to stop his “crocodile tears” as he sobbed in court.
If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).