Sydney woman sentenced to minimum three years' jail over husband's killing

A woman who killed and dismembered her husband before disposing of his remains in bins around south-west Sydney has been handed a minimum jail term of three years, and will be eligible for parole next October.

WARNING: This story contains graphic content that some readers may find upsetting.

Nirmeen Noufl, 55, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter just as her Supreme Court murder trial was due to begin last month.

The plea was accepted by prosecutors on the basis that it was a case of excessive self-defence.

Her husband, 62-year-old Mamdouh Noufl, was reported missing in July 2023 and she was arrested in October the following year, when police searched their Greenacre home.

Mr Noufl's body has not been found.

Eligible for parole next year

According to the agreed facts in the case, Noufl told psychiatrists an argument became physical one night in May 2023, during which she was assaulted and attempted to get away.

She said she was pinned to the kitchen floor and choked before reaching for a nearby renovation tool and stabbing him, "believing that her life was in danger".

Noufl then dismembered his body, with a witness who was at the house in subsequent days observing "pieces of a large round saw" that had been dismantled and pieces of plastic, some of which had blood on them.

Mr Noufl's remains were placed in garbage bags and dumped in rubbish bins with the help of the witness, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Justice Peter Hamill today handed Noufl a sentence of six years and three months, with a non-parole period of three years.

Because Noufl has been in custody since her arrest, she will be eligible for parole in October next year.

The judge said the minimum term would ensure Noufl had a period of supervision, if released, to re-integrate.

Marriage marred by domestic violence

Justice Hamill said he was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the offender intended to kill the victim, but that her conduct in disposing of her husband's remains was a "disturbing" feature of the case.

"The disposal of the body in this case was as thorough as it was brutal,"

he said.

"The conduct after the killing is remarkable and chilling and is relevant to issues such as remorse, rehabilitation and future dangerousness."

The judge was satisfied that Noufl's history of childhood dysfunction and domestic violence was relevant to the sentence.

According to the facts, the couple's marriage had been marred by issues including infidelity and domestic violence, much of which went unreported.

Her husband is described in those documents as strict, controlling and holding conservative Islamic views.

The court documents say Mr Noufl had met another woman during a 2022 trip to Egypt, where they owned property, and had told his wife he planned to marry the other woman.

He denied Nirmeen Noufl's request for a divorce, the facts say.

Noufl is recorded as once telling another witness, after the death, that her husband "treated me like shit" and that she'd "had enough".

There was evidence before the court from the couple's children that the relationship was "gravely abusive", Justice Hamill said, featuring violence, manipulation and coercive control.

Husband's family speak out

Mr Noufl's relatives, including his siblings, niece and nephew, spoke of his positive qualities in statements before the court.

His brother described him as kind, respectable, friendly and compassionate.

The relatives described carrying the pain of their loss for the rest of their lives, and one said the dismemberment represented "horrific cruelty".

It meant there was no resting place to visit and remember him, his nephew said.

Outside court, one of Mr Noufl's nephews angrily expressed disapproval at the outcome.

"She should have got f***ing 25 years to life," he said.

"Look what she did to him, if it was an accident, if she was not meant to kill him, why did you f***ing dismember his body?"

Nirmeen Noufl's defence lawyer, Mohamed Bejjaoui, said the case represented "a tragic set of circumstances" and was "difficult on everybody, especially the family".

"She plans on being released, residing with her kids, and hopefully they can move on from this to the best of their ability," he said.

He added his client was "still distressed, very emotional".

Asked whether his client was remorseful, Mr Bejjaoui replied: "She is, she is. Definitely."