Jamie Lee Dolheguy strangled to death a man she just met with the electrical cord from a sex toy. Photo / news.com.au
Jamie Lee Dolheguy strangled to death a man she just met with the electrical cord from a sex toy. Photo / news.com.au
WARNING: Content may be distressing
A Melbourne teenager who met a man using an online dating app, invited him over for sex and then strangled him in bed has been found guilty of his manslaughter.
Jamie Lee Dolheguy was charged with murder over the death of Indian student Maulin Rathod at a Sunbury house in July 2018.
It was never disputed that Dolheguy killed Rathod but her barrister questioned whether she had "murderous intent".
The then-18-year-old met her victim via the online dating app Plenty of Fish and they exchanged brief messages before agreeing to meet up.
Her online profile outlined she was dating for the first time, had borderline personality disorder, suicidal ideation and extreme fetishes including bondage.
"I got a text message. A message on one of the sites from this guy who wanted to come over and see me, I said 'yes' " Dolheguy said in a previous interview with detectives.
Jamie Lee Dolheguy strangled to death a man she just met with the electrical cord from a sex toy. Photo / news.com.au
"We'll do whatever you want," Rathod told Dolheguy via text before he drove over. But while the 24-year-old was on his way, the teenager went online and searched "I'm going to kill someone tonight for fun" and "I will kill someone tonight, I want to commit murder".
"When he told me he was at my house, I went out and I brought him into my bedroom," she said.
Dressed in a fancy dress costume, Dolheguy discussed choke play with her victim, prosecutor Patrick Bourke told the jury at the beginning of the trial.
"I told him that I … that I wouldn't let him out of the house and he said he didn't care," Dolheguy told detectives.
"I said that I'm into choke play and he said that he's happy to learn anything so I said that I have, like, psychopathic tendencies in my head and I'm not really that safe and he said he's not scared.
Dolheguy said she moved behind Rathod on the bed, choked him with her arms and then wrapped her legs around his body so he could not move.
She then grabbed the cord from her vibrator and wrapped that tightly around his neck. At one point during the strangulation, she whispered in his ears: "It'll be okay. It'll be over."
She told detectives she doesn't know if he heard her.
The killer immediately phoned police and confessed.
"He came, he didn't seem scared. I strangled him. He's on my bed. It feels so good. I don't want to be a killer," she told a police officer.
Jamie Lee Dolheguy called police immediately after strangling Maulin Rathod to death. Photo / news.com.au
Her defence lawyer told jurors Dolheguy had a difficult upbringing and had experienced extreme abuse that forced her into care from the age of 10.
She has a personality disorder and history of self-harm and suicide attempts.
From the age of 14, she lived with full-time carers but that provision was removed when she turned 18 and she lived alone.
"Dolheguy was so damaged, and her mind was in such chaos that you couldn't be satisfied she had murderous intent," defence barrister Sharon Lacy explained.
Her mind was a was "a torrent of terrifying thoughts and emotions".
Now aged 20, the young woman, will face a pre-sentence hearing in April next year.
Where to get help in New Zealand
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.
OR IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ELSE:
• LIFELINE: 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7) • SUICIDE CRISIS HELPLINE: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7) • YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633 • NEED TO TALK? Free call or text 1737 (available 24/7) • KIDSLINE: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7) • WHATSUP: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm) • DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757 or TEXT 4202
