Fiji community mourns after Sydney stabbing leaves two people dead

The Fiji community in Australia and Fiji is mourning following a fatal stabbing in western Sydney that left two people dead and a man charged with murder, in what police believe was a domestic violence incident.

Anaseini Waqavuki, 38, a Fijian woman living in Sydney, was found dead inside her home on Illabo Street in Quakers Hill early on Sunday morning.

A 30-year-old man, Epi Naitini, and understood to be her partner, was found critically injured on the footpath outside the home. He later died in hospital.

Emergency services were called to the address just before 5am following reports of a disturbance. Police arrived to find the injured man suffering from multiple stab wounds.

He was taken to Liverpool Hospital, where he died at about 9am. Waqavuki’s body was found in the kitchen of the home.

Anare Vunitabua, 47, also from Fiji and a former partner of Waqavuki, was arrested after he attended Blacktown Police Station at about 5.30am. He has since been charged with two counts of murder.

Police at the scene in Quakers Hill, western Sydney, where two Fijian nationals died following a stabbing that investigators believe was linked to domestic violence. Photo/7News

Police allege Vunitabua left the scene after the incident, dumped a knife at a nearby service station in Woodcroft, and then handed himself in.

The knife has been seized, and crime scenes were established at the Quakers Hill home, the service station and a Blacktown address linked to the accused.

Riverstone Police Area Command Superintendent Jason Joyce told the media that investigators were treating the case as domestic violence-related, while inquiries continued.

Watch a 7News report about the alleged double stabbing murder in Sydney.

“At this stage, it would appear to be a domestic violence incident,” Joyce says. “We believe the deceased male and female were in a relationship; however, we’re still working to determine the nature and duration of that relationship.

The male currently in custody was previously in a relationship with the female.”

Joyce described the incident as tragic. “It’s very sad, particularly at this time of year. My condolences go out to the families of the deceased.”

Vunitabua appeared briefly in court on Monday, where he did not apply for bail. Bail was formally refused. He is due to appear again on February 26 via audiovisual link from custody.

Neighbours in the normally quiet street say they were shocked by the events.

Wayne Spalding, who lives nearby, says the family appeared happy and caused no trouble.

Deceased: Anaseini Waqavuki. Photo/Facebook

“They seemed like a normal, happy family,” Spalding says. “They never really caused any trouble other than having a party when they could.”

Another neighbour, Arafel Kane, told the ABC that he was woken early on Sunday morning by noise outside. “There was a couple of brief crashes, and then a lady screamed. Then there was pure silence until police arrived.”

Another witness told Nine News he heard several “wordless screams of fear” before everything went quiet.

Strike Force Acoma has been established to investigate the incident. Police are urging anyone with information or relevant CCTV footage to contact Crime Stoppers.

The deaths have sent shockwaves through the Fijian community, both in Australia and in Fiji, as families come to terms with the loss.

Watch a 7News report via The Fiji Times on the double-stabbing murders in Sydney below.