Alleged wife-killer Francesco Dimasi has been ordered to stand trial, even as he struggles with dementia and his lawyer acknowledges the elderly man likely does not understand what is happening to him.
Police have accused Mr Dimasi, 92, of stabbing his wife Maria Dimasi, 85, to death in Adelaide in December last year.
He has been diagnosed with dementia and is currently receiving care at a medical facility under the watch of Department of Corrections officers.
At a hearing at Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday, Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal granted Mr Dimasi bail to continue receiving care at the facility free from the watch of corrections officers.
The court heard the facility employs three security guards who run to assist nursing staff in any ‘code black’ instance of patient violence.
Trish Johnson, appearing for Mr Dimasi, has asked for her client to be moved to a residential care facility, but Ms Hribal expressed caution about moving Mr Dimasi from his current facility and ordered a report on the suitability of a new aged care home for the man.
‘When a residential aged care facility placement becomes available, SA prison health service and forensic mental health are to assess its suitability … and advise the court of security arrangements,’ she said.
The court heard Mr Dimasi has ‘grabbed’ at the arms of nursing staff and nurses required an officer to help them control Mr Dimasi once or twice a week.
Frank Dimasi, 91, has been ordered to stand trial for the alleged stabbing murder of his wife Maria Dimasi, 85, (both pictured)
Ms Johnson told the court Mr Dimasi is bedridden and ‘dependent on others for everything’ and his risk to others’ safety was no greater than that of any other dementia patient.
Mr Dimasi did not enter pleas to the murder charge against him and Ms Hribal committed the matter to the Supreme Court for an arraignment and trial starting on September 30, 2024.
At his first appearance at Port Adelaide Magistrates Court soon after the alleged killing, Mr Dimasi spoke in a frail, wispy voice.
An Italian interpreter sat in the court and translated the hearing before Magistrate Jayanthi Pandya.
At one point, Mr Dimasi spoke to the interpreter and the interpreter replied, ‘non capito’, which is Italian for ‘I do not understand’.
The interpreter told Ms Pandya at another point in the hearing that he was having trouble understanding Mr Dimasi.
Police allege Mr Dimasi, 91, stabbed his wife Maria Dimasi, 85 (pictured), to death in Adelaide in December last year
‘Sometimes it is not very clear what he says,’ the interpreter said.
The alleged murder happened on the morning of December 2 at the couple’s home of 60 years in Findon in the city’s west.
Mr Dimasi had dialled triple-0 after the alleged murder and said he had killed his wife, the court heard.
Police officers arrived on scene within six minutes and found Mr Dimasi sitting in the kitchen with blood on his clothing, arms and hands.
Officers searched the house and found Mrs Dimasi with significant wounds to her head and upper body.
While police were speaking to Mr Dimasi, the court was told the elderly man drifted in and out of consciousness.
