Sydney woman sentenced for killing and dismembering abusive husband

‘Disposal of the body in this case was as thorough as it was brutal,’ justice Peter Hamill said when sentencing 55-year-old Nirmeen Noufl

A woman who lied to police multiple times to cover up killing and dismembering her abusive husband will spend a further 12 months in jail.

Nirmeen Noufl was sentenced on Friday to at least three years in jail after pleading guilty in August to killing her husband, Mamdouh Noufl, in excessive self-defence while she was being choked and assaulted in their Sydney home.

The 55-year-old has been in custody since her arrest in October 2024, when she was originally charged with murder before prosecutors accepted an admission to the lesser charge. With time served, Noufl will be eligible for parole in October 2027.

Crown prosecutor Mark Hay told the court the disposal of Mamdouh Noufl’s body meant her version of events had to be accepted and a murder charge could not be pursued.

An extremely traumatic childhood followed by severe domestic violence mitigated the seriousness of the mid-2023 killing, but the dismemberment was important to the case, the judge said.

“Disposal of the body in this case was as thorough as it was brutal,” justice Peter Hamill said on Friday.

“The conduct after the killing is remarkable and chilling … and is also relevant to issues such as remorse.”

A key factor in sentencing was the sustained history of abuse she suffered at her husband’s hand, culminating in the attack she said she was experiencing when she stabbed her husband.

“This was a gravely abusive relationship featuring violence, psychological manipulation and coercive control,” the judge said.

Noufl wiped away tears in court as Hamill outlined the circumstances of extreme violence and abuse in her childhood and marriage.

The judge indicated members of Mamdouh Noufl’s family would probably be disappointed with the maximum sentence of six years and nine months.

“I hope all of you understand … there will seem to be a gap between the loss you have suffered forever and the sentence I impose,” the judge said.

Mamdouh Noufl held conservative Islamic views and was controlling of his wife and daughters, according to the agreed facts.