The New South Wales Supreme Court has refused bail to Nirmeen Noufl, a 53-year-old Australian woman accused of killing her 62-year-old husband, Mamdouh “Emad” Noufl. After taking control of certain finances, Noufl, who appeared in court with the help of family and friends, allegedly killed and mutilated her husband.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, police allege that on May 3 last year, Noufl acted alone in the killing, using knives and a power saw at their Greenacre home in western Sydney. The body parts were reportedly placed in up to 30 plastic bags and discarded in bins across multiple suburbs. Noufl was arrested last month after checking herself into a mental health hospital, where police gathered what they believed to be strong circumstantial evidence against her. Her husband’s remains have yet to be found.
“The Crown would submit that there was a personal motive for the applicant [Ms Noufl] to act on the night of the alleged offence, and that was to escape a relationship she was not happy with, that she felt trapped with,” the Crown prosecutor said. The Crown submitted that when Mr Noufl gave his wife legal authority of his properties in Egypt in May, it “presented an opportunity” for her to “get out of the relationship”.
During the court hearing, it was revealed that a witness, known as “Witness A,” claimed to have seen Noufl’s actions on the night of the alleged murder. Another witness testified that Noufl made statements that could be seen as admissions of guilt. The police fact sheet indicated Noufl was motivated by abuse she suffered and her husband’s relationship with a woman in Egypt, to whom he had become engaged while remaining married to her.
A witness, identified as “Witness A,” said at the court hearing that he saw Noufl’s behaviour the night of the suspected murder. According to the testimony of another witness, Noufl made remarks that can be interpreted as confessions of guilt. According to the police fact sheet, Noufl was driven by the abuse she experienced and her husband’s affair with a lady in Egypt, with whom he had become engaged while still being married.