EXCLUSIVE
A woman who was punched in the face by her husband during a cruise vacation defended him in a letter to the court as “a beacon of light in the darkness of my life.”
The woman used a victim impact statement to describe her husband Tony Lilo as “the best husband I could ever ask for”, despite him having pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm.
The attack, which a magistrate called “a serious example of domestic violence”, happened in March last year when the couple were on board the Celebrity Eclipse for a two-week cruise between Australia and New Zealand.
Lilo took offense at the way his wife of two years spent money on gifts for family and friends, and later accused her of having an affair with another passenger.
A verbal altercation broke out in their cabin, with the two pushing each other. Lilo even slapped his wife in the face after she accepted his challenge to hit him.
Lilo then forced his wife to the ground and straddled her legs after she kicked him in the chest, causing him to fall backwards into a television cabinet.
When it was all over, Lilo said he was going to jump off the ship and told his wife that if she called security, it would be “the last thing she would ever do.”
Daily Mail Australia has obtained a copy of the woman’s victim impact statement after it was filed as part of Lilo’s case in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court.
A woman whose husband punched her in the face during an international cruise has defended him as “a beacon of light in the darkness of my life.” The woman used a victim impact statement to describe her husband Tony Lilo (above) as “the best husband I could ever ask for.”
In her letter to the presiding judge, the woman wrote that she had not seen Lilo hit her and that she had not felt any pain afterwards, although she had suffered an injury to her jaw.
“I had no pain or discomfort except when chewing,” she said.
“There were no bruises or other outward signs of injury other than a few self-inflicted scratches.”
A statement of facts filed for Lilo’s sentencing revealed the 39-year-old man from Guildford in Sydney’s west had called his 48-year-old wife a “b***h”, a “c***” and a “selfish c***”.
The same statement said Lilo pressed on his wife’s neck as she lay on the floor of the hut, causing her to have difficulty breathing, and that blood came from a birthmark.
The couple spent the last night of the cruise in separate cabins before the Celebrity Eclipse docked in Sydney, and have since been separated due to a restraining order.
The woman, who lives in Seattle in the northwestern United States, continues to support Lilo and downplays the injuries her victim suffered in the statement she gave to the court.
“The psychological damage I suffered that evening from Tony’s behavior was extremely minimal,” she wrote.
“I have been involved in multiple combat sports for about 35 years, including boxing, wrestling and sword fighting. I have suffered far more serious injuries during sparring training.”
Lilo and his wife, who Daily Mail Australia declined to name, both suffer from serious mental health issues and Lilo claims she cannot clearly remember the attack.
“I don’t know exactly how I was injured in the incident between Tony and me at Celebrity Eclipse,” she wrote.
‘During this incident I was in an agitated, manic state and was experiencing hallucinations and flashbacks, so I don’t know exactly what happened that day.
“I didn’t see him hit me and I didn’t feel any pain after I felt something touch my cheek. It’s possible the injury was caused by other sources.”
Lilo already had a criminal record stemming from a domestic affair in 2013, and his wife was deeply concerned that a new conviction would prevent him from joining her in the US.
“I have suffered little psychological damage from Tony’s behavior, but the lawsuit and the divorce from my beloved husband have affected me much more,” she wrote.
Tony Lilo attacked his wife while the couple were on board the Celebrity Eclipse (above) for a two-week cruise between Australia and New Zealand in March last year
‘Tony and I both suffer from serious mental health issues. He has supported me through my worst days with great love and understanding for almost ten years.’
The court heard that a week before the couple went on their cruise, Lilo’s father, who suffered from dementia, had tried to attack his wife.
The woman wrote that this traumatic event caused “the worst mental breakdown I have ever experienced in my life.”
“Tony was also deeply affected by this event,” she wrote.
‘Sadly, when we needed each other the most, [restraining order] The circumstances imposed on us prevented me from receiving the vital support that only Tony could provide.
‘He’s the only person I feel truly safe with. Tony has never hit me or threatened me.
“This behavior is completely out of character. I am convinced that this incident is a one-time reaction to extreme emotional stress and that it will never happen again.”
The woman had been “anxious and stressed because she didn’t know if Tony was OK” during the nearly 18 months they had lived on opposite sides of the world.
“Tony is the best husband I could ever ask for,” she said. “He is incredibly thoughtful and considerate.
An argument between Tony Lilo and his wife in their stateroom on the Celebrity Eclipse escalated to him punching her in the face. A similar stateroom is pictured
‘Tony supports me physically and emotionally and has even taught me how to provide specialized medical care, which I need several times a week.
“He truly is a beacon of light in the darkness and my life is better in every way with him.”
Lilo’s lawyer, former Supreme Court judge Greg James KC, told Magistrate Susan Horan on Tuesday that his client’s wife had made it clear she wanted to resume her married life.
Mr James said Lilo had undergone therapy before and after the events on the ship and would continue to seek help through Relationships Australia.
Ms Horan noted that Lilo showed remorse for his actions, but said the community expected perpetrators of domestic violence to be punished.
“You can’t say this offense is trivial,” she said.
“It’s not just domestic violence, it’s a serious example of domestic violence.”
Mrs Horan convicted Lilo and imposed a 12-month behaviour order on him. She also imposed a 12-month arrest warrant on him to protect his wife.
