Murder allegations rock WA nursing home as Suzanne Lupica fronts court over the death of Lilian Donnelly

A former nurse has been charged with allegedly murdering her aged care home roommate at an aged care facility in Perth.

Suzanne Margaret Lupica, 75, was arrested after Lilian Catherine Donnelly, 88, was found dead at the Port Kennedy Bethanie Waters Aged Care retirement village at about 4.20am on Friday.

The pair had only been sharing a room for four days.

A former friend told 7NEWS that Lupica, who hails from a wealthy South African tyre manufacturing family, migrated to Western Australia several decades ago with her two children following the breakdown of her first marriage.

She raised her son and daughter as a single mother while working as a registered nurse in Perth.

She later wed a local plumber, but their tumultuous marriage also ended in divorce.

“They separated and got back together before finally ending things,” the friend said.

“We were quite close, but she dropped her friends when she went back to him.”

The friend said she had not seen Lupica in more than 10 years and was shocked to hear she was living in a retirement village.

Meanwhile, Donnelly, who lived with dementia, had been part of the retirement home village community for more than four years.

After her diagnosis in 2019, her husband Jim, a retired seaman, initially cared for Lilian at home and sought support services from Bethanie Waters before she more recently moved into the facility full-time.

Speaking to the retirement village in 2020 for Dementia Action Week, Jim opened up about the difficulties he has faced as a carer for his wife.

Before her diagnosis, Jim said his wife was a “very active and social person” who was also “very house-proud and loved making sure the home was clean and well-cared for”.

Jim said he first began to realise something was wrong when his wife started keeping to herself, stopped worrying about their home, and no longer went out to socialise.

He said one of her symptoms was memory loss and she often spoke about her late grandparents as though they were still alive.

“She’ll say things like, ‘I must go visit them, we haven’t seen them in ages’, but they passed away nearly 20 years ago,” he said at the time.

“She is very resistant to some simple tasks such as putting pyjamas on to get ready for bed.”

In 2020, Jim began taking his wife to a support centre at the retirement village three times a week so she could participate in activities and socialise.

While she didn’t like it at first, Jim said his wife gradually grew to enjoy it and has since “made many new friends”.

Lupica appeared via audio link in Northbridge Magistrates Court on Australia Day from her hospital, where she was receiving treatment under police guard for heart and bowel conditions, The West Australian reported.

Asked by Magistrate Dianne Patricia Scanddan whether she understood the charge, Lupica replied “not really, because that isn’t how it was”.

Lupica did not apply for bail, but Magistrate Scaddan said she could do so prior to the next hearing through a duty judge.

Lupica’s matter was adjourned for her to appear in the Stirling Gardens Supreme Court on February 19.