Melbourne, Australia – The killer of Melbourne woman Celeste Manno is attempting to secure freedom after inflicting a brutal murder. Luay Nader Sako, 39, stabbed Ms. Manno up to 23 times while she slept in her own bed at her mother’s house in Melbourne’s northeast. This violent act occurred on November 16, 2020. Sako then proceeded to drive to the nearest police station and has since been engaged in a prolonged legal battle. Born in Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s reign, Sako migrated to Australia in 1992 with his family. He was the eldest of five children.
Sako murdered his former work colleague just over a year after he began stalking her and only hours after finding out about her new boyfriend through an Instagram post. His defense strategy revolves around an attempt to convince forensic experts that he was criminally insane when he committed the murder. Dr. Rajan Dargee, a forensic psychiatrist, testified that Sako had been faking the extent of his mental condition right from the beginning, motivated by a desire to be seen in a more positive light and to secure a mental impairment defense.
The proceeding has been described as “tortured” by Sako’s own attorney. The victim’s family is expressing their dissatisfaction with the justice system, particularly because Ms. Manno’s application of an intervention order against Sako likely led to her tragic death. Sako’s younger brother, Lauren, has had his own legal troubles, having been sentenced to six years at a youth justice center for the manslaughter of Matthew McEvoy.
The killer’s twisted road to a sentencing outcome recently took a dramatic turn when he fired his barrister on the eve of his pre-sentence plea, carrying out in person a cross-examination of the forensic expert who asserted he had stabbed Ms. Manno 23 times.
Even with Sako’s attempts at a mental impairment defense, it is expected that he will avoid a life sentence in prison. Dr. Dargee contends that Sako was suffering from mental ailments at the time of the murder, including depression, an extreme personality disorder, and body dysmorphia. Such conditions, if accepted by the court, could result in a reduced sentence.
Despite the defense’s arguments, Crown prosecutor Patrick Bourke KC believes that Sako’s bid to reduce his sentence is merely another calculated tactic to escape justice. The victim’s family has shared their plea for a life sentence, expressing their dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in the justice system.