Melbourne, April 01: A Former nurse who murdered a Filipina cleaner whose remains were found wrapped in garbage bags in the front yard of a vacant house has been jailed for 17-and-a-half-years.
Luvina Dayang’s remains were found at the house in Springvale, south-east Melbourne, on December 12, 2007.
Last year, a Victorian Supreme Court jury found Danilo Guingab, 46, guilty of her strangling murder.
The court heard Ms Dayang came to Australia from the Philippines on a three-month tourist visa in 2006 but had overstayed.
The mother-of-four worked as a cleaner and carer in Sydney but Guingab had offered to help her apply for a job in Melbourne.
She had occasionally stayed at the home he shared with his estranged wife and family before her body was found 500m away.
Ms Dayang’s body was found wrapped in black plastic bags tied with a rope later matched to bags and rope found at Guingab’s home.
Guingab told police Ms Dayang had hurriedly left his home on the afternoon of December 11, 2007, saying she had to go home to Sydney. She was not seen since.
In sentencing, Justice Terry Forrest said Guingab’s motive was unclear but his actions were probably spontaneous.
It was also not known what happened between Guingab and Ms Dayang in the lead-up to her death.
Justice Terence Forrest said Ms Dayang’s family were grieving and also suffering financially through their loss.
Guingab’s time in jail would be onerous because he had been seriously assaulted in custody and would have to serve most of his time in protection.
He also took into account a three-year delay in the case and the fact Guingab will not see his children as a free man until they are adults.
Guingab, a former psychiatric nurse, must serve a minimum 13-and-a half years jail, which takes into account almost four years he has spent in custody on remand.
——–Agencies