A Bangladeshi student who stabbed her Melbourne homestay host in the neck has been jailed for 42 years.
Momena Shoma is reportedly the first person ever in Australia to be sentenced for directly carrying out a terror attack.
She'd been living with Roger Singaravelu for less than 48 hours when she attacked him as he napped with his five-year-old daughter in February 2018, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The diminutive 26-year-old had been in the country for only eight days. She told the court Islamic State ordered her to do it, and showed no remorse.
Justice Lesley Ann Taylor told Shoma her actions "sent ripples of horror throughout the Australian community".
"But they do not make you a martyr. They do not make you a beacon of Islam. They do not give you green wings to ascend to [heaven].
"They make you an undistinguished criminal. You should not mistake your passing notoriety for importance, nor equate it with achievement."
Singaravelu survived the barbaric attack, but has reportedly suffered from PTSD and substance abuse since. His daughter hasn't fared much better, suffering flashbacks and nightmares.
"I still can't believe that I am alive. I should be in a wooden box or in a wheelchair after what she had done to me," he said outside the court.
Queensland University of Technology law exeprt Nigel Stobbs told news.com.au Shoma's sentence was longer than many would get for murder because she had terrorist intentions.
"Theoretically the court could've put her away until she dies. It's very rare that someone is locked up forever," he said.
"The offender, or the terrorist, is trying to weaken the fabric of society itself. So even though the immediate victim is one person, it's aimed at society and not treated like a typical personal offence."
Shoma will come up for parole in 31 years' time. If she's ever released, she'll be deported back to Bangladesh.
Newshub.
