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Nirmeen Noufl, 53, was charged with murder and desecrating a body after allegedly killing her husband to escape an abusive marriage.
Chilling details of the murder emerged during a Supreme Court hearing in Australia on Thursday. (Representational Image)
In a shocking case from Australia, a woman allegedly butchered her husband with a power saw to escape an abusive marriage, then placed his remains in 30 plastic bags and dumped them in several places across south-west Sydney, a court heard recently.
Nirmeen Noufl, 53, was denied bail by the Supreme Court on Thursday over the alleged murder of the 62-year-old Mamdouh “Emad” Noufl. Chilling details of the murder emerged as Noufl fought charges of murder and desecration of a body, while she was supported by a dozen family members and friends.
Police accused Noufl of slashing her husband with knives and a power saw during an altercation at their family home in Greenacre on May 3 last year, reported The Sydney Morning Herald. She allegedly disposed of the body parts in residential and commercial bins across several suburbs in Sydney.
Accused Motivated By Husband’s Extramarital Affair
The Supreme Court on Thursday heard testimonies from “Witness A” who allegedly saw Noufl carrying out “callous” actions on the night of the murder, while another witness reported hearing statements from the accused that seemingly implicated her in the act of killing her husband.
The police fact sheet alleged that Noufl was motivated by previous abuse as well as frustrations over her husband’s extramarital affair with another woman in Egypt, with whom he had become engaged to whole wanting to stay married to his wife.
Noufl was arrested last month when she checked herself into a mental health hospital based on strong circumstantial evidence while her husband’s remains are yet to be found.
Crown Prosecutor William Sit alleged Noufl killed her husband to escape an unhappy and abusive marriage, citing police reports of multiple domestic violence incidents, including one where her now-deceased husband drew a knife on her. Sit said the couple had travelled to the Egyptian consulate to formally grant her a power of attorney regarding properties in Egypt on the day of Mamdouh Noufl’s murder.
The prosecutor submitted that the victim allegedly went to visit a friend and was never seen again. “The Crown submits that in that time-frame between 9 pm and when witness A attended the home, that’s when the killing happened. We say it was intentional as the opportunity arose circumstantially,” he said.
Police also said the couple allegedly had a fight over Mamdouh Noufl’s fiancée in Egypt on the night of the murder. After killing her husband, Nirmeen Noufl travelled to Egypt to act on the power of attorney, sold the properties and returned to Australia with $200,000, the prosecutor said. She also contacted her husband’s fiancée and asked her for money that was owed to him.
Defence Claims Mental Health Problems Of Accused
Nirmeen Noufl’s lawyer argued in the Supreme Court that his client suffered from mental illnesses including depression, PTSD and a psychotic illness. He said that after checking herself into the hospital in October, she had reported hearing “voices of angels” and kept a blanket over her head.
James said her physical and mental health resulted in jail conditions that impeded her ability to take part in a proper trial. He also cited previous abuse by the husband, saying she was observed with “injuries to her face consistent of violence being made to her” after the event.
“Issues of mental health in all its manifestations, issues of provocation, self-defence, an unlawful and dangerous act as opposed to intentional killing are all on the cards,” the lawyer argued. However, Sit argued that Noufl’s behaviour was consistent with someone who had intentionally killed her husband.
The Crown Prosecutor highlighted what he considered as evidence that she used her husband’s phone and social media accounts after the alleged murder in Australia till she travelled to Egypt. Sit said she used language that was apparently inconsistent that of the deceased and had plans to live overseas.
What Did The Court Say?
Supreme Court Judge Deborah Sweeney said the Crown’s case that Noufl “dismembered her husband’s body, placed it in 20 to 30 bags and disposed of them in separate residential and industrial bins” appeared strong and denied her bail on Thursday.
She accepted that the victim suffered from depression, complex PTSD as a result of her abusive parents and late husband and a possible psychotic illness, but said she could be treated in custody. Noufl will face the court again on December 11.
- Location :
Canberra, Australia
