A CAIRNS man has been sentenced to life in jail for stabbing his teenage daughter to death because she was "talking back".
Aaron Nelson Pablo, 37, stabbed Mariza David more than 20 times and doused her in petrol at a Manunda unit on September 18, 2008.
It took about an hour yesterday for a jury to find Pablo guilty of murder.
Wearing boardshorts and a T-shirt, Pablo, who has been in custody since the murder, was silent and expressionless during the two-day trial.
Investigating officer Det Sgt Sheridan Heaton yesterday said the past 18 months had been tough for the murdered teenager's family.
"The victim's family will be very relieved that it's over," she said.
During a police video interview shown to the court, Pablo told police he stabbed Mariza because she was "talking back".
Mariza had been grounded, but an argument broke out when she said she wanted to go out that night.
Pablo, who was born on Thursday Island and moved to Cairns from Bamaga in 2004, cited constant arguments with his daughter and step-daughter for pushing him over the edge.
"I told them they had to clean the house," he told police. "I'm the only one that does all the cleaning. They didn't want to listen."
Mariza's mother, Relsie David, told the court how she had found her daughter laying bloodstained on the floor.
Pablo said on the night of the murder he'd also fought with Mariza about her boyfriend.
"I started to get cranky and said, 'Why can't you listen?" he said.
Pablo then got a knife from the kitchen and stabbed Mariza more than 20 times, saying to her, "If only you would listen, none of this would happen".
He then poured petrol over his daughter and parts of the unit, but could not bring himself to light the fire.
The court also heard Pablo had locked his step-daughter, Servenna Walker, in the bathroom by tying the door with rope to stop her from witnessing the murder.
Ms Walker smashed her way through the bathroom door, hearing Mariza's screams.
In court, a partition was placed between Pablo and the family, to save them from having to look at him while they gave evidence.
Servenna told the court she was in the shower when she heard loud banging and screaming.
She rushed out of the shower, but when she tried to open the bathroom door, she realised she had been trapped.
"I heard Nelson (Pablo) say, 'Sorry Mariza, sorry Mariza', then it was silent," she said.
Ms Walker pointed the shower head at the door in a bid to soften it to get through.
"When I started to smell the petrol - I grabbed my towel and put it under the door," she said.
"I was ripping the door apart, trying to get myself out.
"When I started to put my hands on the floor there was petrol and blood."
After breaking through the door she saw Mariza on the floor in the hallway. She ran out of the house in search of her and Mariza's mother, Relsie David, who was on her way back from a function.
Servenna ran into her mother in the street and told her what had happened.
Ms David told the court how she found her murdered daughter in the hallway with a pile of bloodied clothes on top of her.
"I could see Mariza lying there," she said.
"All the clothes were on top of her - all the petrol was everywhere.
"I just went in and took all the clothes off Mariza - I started to shake her but she didn't respond.
"I could see the knife marks, the knife was laying beside her."
Paramedics tried to revive Mariza in the driveway of the Manunda home, but she was pronounced dead on arrival at Cairns Base Hospital.
Later that night, Pablo walked into a police station wearing blood-stained clothes.
When asked what he did, he replied "I stabbed my daughter".
He told police he handed himself in "because he didn't want to get chased around".
Mariza, a popular Djarragun College Year 12 student, was described as a talented hairdresser and champion sportswoman.
Pablo will spend a minimum of 20 years behind bars for her murder.
