Hanna Safi: Accused of attempted extortion after Shahnaz Qidwai murder

Police allege a man concocted a plan from behind bars with the tradie who murdered a wealthy north shore grandmother to extort $300k from her widower.

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A bizarre series of events which saw a north shore grandmother beaten to death inside her own mansion is what sparked one man’s attempted $300,000 extortion, police will allege.

Hanna “John” Safi appeared in Burwood Local Court on Wednesday afternoon after police charged him with a string of offences related to the 2012 murder of Shahnaz Qidwai.

The Henley mansion of murder victim Shanoz (or Shahnaz) Qidwai in Dick Street.

Police allege Safi threatened and tried to extort the money from Ms Qidwai’s now widower husband, Khalid, on a number of occasions between September and November last year.

Hanna "John" Safi will apply for bail at Burwood Local Court tomorrow. Picture: Facebook

He was arrested outside his Belfield home this morning. Picture: NSW Police

It’s understood Safi had allegedly conspired with Ms Qidwai’s killer Tony Halloun to extort the money after the pair met in Lithgow jail in 2012.

Safi is accused by police of making the threats over the phone.

He was on remand at the time he met Halloun for an unrelated murder charge for which he was eventually acquitted of.

Dr Khalid Qidwai with his children after the Sentencing of Tony Halloun convicted of murdering his wife Shahnaz Qidwai.

The 42-year-old was arrested outside his Belfield home about 8am Wednesday morning with police seizing mobile phones and electronic storage devices there and at another property in Colo Vale.

Tony Halloun, who killed Ms Qidwai in her Henley mansion in 2012.

Tradesman Halloun is currently serving out a 24-year sentence for the murder of Shahnaz Qidwai.

Halloun killed Ms Qidwai after he was caught stealing money in their home while working on their driveway.

Leading up to the attack, he had made threats to Mr Qidwai and demanded money from her husband in order to pay back his own debts.

The Qidwai’s were known to the Halloun family due to Mr Qidwai being their family GP. Picture: Supplied

Her body was later found on the bedroom floor by one of the Qidwai’s adult children, with injuries consistent with blunt force trauma to the head and chest.

“I’ll represent myself it’s alright,” Safi told the court when he was brought up from the cells.

His matter was adjourned to Thursday so his lawyer could apply for bail on his behalf.

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