A doting mother, hailed as a ‘ray of sunshine’ by her loved ones, was enjoying life with a new partner when she was stabbed to death by her ex-husband in front of her two children on Christmas Day in Tasmania.
Darren Mark Wake pleaded guilty in December to the murder of 52-year-old midwife Rachel Wake at her Hobart home on December 25, 2021.
Wake took a jackknife that he had purchased online three weeks earlier home with him after telling Mrs. Wake that he wanted to bring a present for their teenage son.
When he reached the front door, she told Wake their son didn’t want to see him.
Their teenage daughter was also there at the time.
Mum-of-two Rachel Wake was stabbed to death by her ex-husband on Christmas Day 2021
Wake, who had quit his job as a nurse a few days before the murder, stepped inside, but Mrs. Wake told him not to come any further or she would call the police.
He took the knife from his pocket and stabbed her seventeen times, including in the neck.
She was rushed to hospital, but died shortly afterwards.
Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates SC told the Supreme Court of Tasmania that Wake blamed his ex-wife for not being able to see his son and that was the motive for the crime.
Mr Coates said Mrs Wake had become afraid of Wake after the couple divorced in 2012.
He said Wake had been aggressive and emotionally manipulative toward the couple’s son.
Mrs Wake’s mother told the court her only daughter was smart, funny, loyal and a “ray of sunshine”.
“The love she had for her family was deep. No one had the right to take her life,” she said.
Rachel (pictured) was stabbed to death in front of her teenage children
“(Waking up) has caused me pain that I will never recover from.
‘I talk to her every day. I miss her every day. I cry every day. When the phone rings, I pray to hear, ‘Hi, it’s me.’
She said her daughter was happy with a new partner and a new life.
“I have never known hatred towards another person… but now I do,” she said.
Ms Wake’s daughter Romany said she has since struggled with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, self-harm and survivor’s guilt.
“(Mom) was my rock. There was always beauty in life when my mother was present,” she said.
Wake spoke to triple-zero operators immediately after the stabbing, saying, “It’s me, I’m the guy who just did it.”
“I stabbed my wife several times,” he said in a recording of the phone call played in court.
The midwife was described by her mother as ‘a ray of sunshine’, but also as ‘smart, funny, loyal’
Coates described Wake’s confessions to police after the murder and said he also gave a detailed account of the frustrations and difficulties of co-parenting.
“It was 20 years of frustration and he acted stupidly,” Coates said.
“In the past he thought about killing Rachel, but he said anyone in a bad relationship would think about leaving their partner at some point.”
Wake, who initially pleaded not guilty, is expected to appear in court on March 5 and be sentenced at a later date.
His lawyer Fabiano Cangelosi said an important case, which had not been publicly disclosed to the court, needed to be investigated.
Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or further via blue on 1300 22 4636.
National Domestic Violence Service: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you are in immediate danger, call triple zero (000).