Talaat Hawatt charged with murder after wife Khouloud Hawatt found dead inside Belmore unit

A husband has been charged with murder following the discovery of a woman’s body inside a Sydney unit after what police allege to be “very violent” circumstances.

NSW Police at the scene after a woman’s body was found inside a Belmore unit on Wednesday morning. Picture: Justin Lloyd

A husband has been charged with murder after police discovered the body of his wife, who was allegedly killed in a Sydney unit in “very violent” circumstances.

Talaat Hawatt, 35, was arrested at Denham Court on Wednesday morning after his wife Khouloud Hawatt’s body was found inside their Belmore apartment.

Hawatt was taken to Campbelltown Police Station, where he was charged with murder on Wednesday evening.

He was also charged with contravening an apprehended violence order, using a prohibited weapon contrary to a prohibition order and failing to comply with a digital evidence access order direction.

Hawatt did not apply for bail or enter pleas on Thursday, when he was remanded in custody to face Burwood Local Court on February 5.

Talaat Hawatt was arrested by police after his wife’s body was found inside a Belmore unit.

The woman’s body was found inside the unit on Wednesday morning.

Defence lawyer Mostafa Daoudie told Bankstown Local Court that Hawatt was in custody at the Amber Laurel Correctional Centre.

The charges follow a concerned family member contacting police about 7.50am on Wednesday, asking officers to check on 31-year-old Ms Hawatt.

Officers attached to Campsie Police Area Command rushed to the scene and arrived eight minutes later, finding the body of the mother of five inside the Knox St unit.

Police claim her husband had fled the scene after allegedly killing her sometime on Wednesday morning.

He was found shortly after, some 30km away at a home in Denham Court.

Khouloud Hawatt. Picture: Supplied

Later on Wednesday, Campsie Police Superintendent Sheridan Waldau said the alleged murder was “very violent”.

Supt Waldau confirmed an apprehended violence order was in place to protect Ms Hawatt from her husband and he had come to the attention of a strike force targeting domestic violence offenders known as Operation Amarok.

“I know that he has come under the notice of Amarok before, and he had a compliance check by Campsie police in only August,” she told media.

The NSW Police homicide squad is investigating the death. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Detectives have closed part of Knox St while they investigate. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Supt Waldau said while an apprehended violence order was in place, they were at times “difficult to enforce”.

“It’s very difficult to enforce these things if they don’t get reported,” she said.

“And that’s the biggest thing with domestic violence, is that the victims don’t come forward.

“The family members and friends of these people need to encourage them to come and report to us, because we can’t help them if they don’t ask for help.

“We know that it takes some for victims, up to 27 times, before they will come and seek help from us.

“It’s a tragedy when things like this happen.”

It is understood the pair had been together for a decade, and married in 2015 in Lebanon before returning to Australia.

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