September 4th 2024.
It was a horrific scene that shook the entire neighborhood. A man, Joe Lo Bianco, had brutally attacked his wife, Kaliopi Roumeliotis, with a metal car ramp, leaving her lifeless body on the garage floor. But the most disturbing part? He had his young daughter, Sally, go and say hello to her mother's body just an hour after the attack.
The events unfolded on November 30, 2022, when Roumeliotis had just arrived home and stepped out of her car. Lo Bianco, without warning, launched his vicious assault, repeatedly striking her head and neck. He then placed the murder weapon under her head, trying to make it look like an accident, before getting rid of his bloodied clothes.
In a cold and calculated move, Lo Bianco went next door to chat with his in-laws while he waited for his daughter to be dropped off from a friend's birthday party. When Sally arrived and asked about her mother, Lo Bianco told her to go and say hello in the garage. The young girl, only known as Sally in court, found her mother's dead body covered in blood. She ran next door, begging for help from her uncle and aunt who immediately started performing CPR. But it was too late, as paramedics confirmed that Roumeliotis had already passed away.
Initially, Lo Bianco tried to cover up his crime by telling police that his wife must have tripped and fallen. But as the investigation continued, he eventually confessed to the murder and pleaded guilty in court. During his plea hearing, he could not bring himself to look at Roumeliotis' family and friends, keeping his head down as 10 victim impact statements were read, including one from his own daughter.
In a statement read by her uncle, Sally expressed her pain and trauma from losing her mother and how Lo Bianco had left her with scars that would never heal. She didn't want him in her life anymore, and her mother's love, which she described as being in a hug forever, had been taken away by his actions.
Roumeliotis' brother, Arthur, also shared his devastation at losing his sister and how she had been robbed of the chance to see her daughter grow up and guide her through life. He also mentioned that it was not fair that she was no longer with them, as she had so much life left to give.
The court was informed that Lo Bianco and Roumeliotis had been arguing about money, as he had lost his job during the pandemic and refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine. On the day of the attack, he had spent three hours gambling at the pokies while his wife was at work. This led to an argument when she returned home, and Lo Bianco, in a fit of rage, ended her life.
As the plea hearing continues, the community is left reeling from this senseless act of violence. It serves as a reminder that support is available for those experiencing domestic violence through the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT. Let us hope that justice will be served for Kaliopi Roumeliotis and that her family finds some semblance of peace and closure.
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