Man who Saudi sister took out AVO against before she was found dead breaks his silence

A man at the centre of an AVO taken out by one of the sisters found dead in a Canterbury unit has spoken out.

A man at the centre of an AVO taken out by one of the sisters found dead in a Canterbury unit has spoken of the “fight” which lead them to court.

Asra Adbullah Alsehli, 24, went to Fairfield police in 2019 fearful after an altercation with a male friend who claims he “met her on the street” and struck up a friendship.

The heavily decomposed bodies of the woman and her sister Amaal, 23, were found dead in their Canterbury unit on June 7, baffling police who cannot find a cause of death.

Police said the pair lived a reclusive life since moving to Australia in 2017, and did not have many known friends or connections in Sydney.

But a man named in court papers against one of the sisters last night told The Daily Telegraph he had a “small fight” with Asra which prompted her to contact police and take out an AVO.

“We had an argument, you know, like friends do...she was afraid so she contacted the police,” the man said.

“Then the three of us went to the police, me, her and Amaal (Asra’s sister) and we told them what happened.”

Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, was found dead in a Sydney unit in June. Picture: Supplied

Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24.

The man said police gave him a court date where the AVO was listed to be heard.

“We went to court, the three of us and I told the judge what happened. Amaal explained it was just an argument and Asra was frightened but there was no problem anymore.”

Court records confirmed the matter was withdrawn and dismissed.

The man, who said he was not romantically involved with Asra, had not been in contact with her or Amaal for about two years, and was “shocked” to hear of their mysterious deaths.

“I have spoken to police, I told them what I know and I am upset like everyone else,” he said.

As the pair’s tragic tale continues to unfold, The Daily Telegraph can also reveal police contacted relatives in Saudi Arabia asking for permission to release images of the women as part of an appeal for public help, but they refused.

However, a coroner investigating the deaths overruled the family’s decision and insisted the photos be released so that as much information as possible could be gained about the dead pair.

It can also be revealed the sisters had been given an eviction notice from the Canterbury Rd unit just weeks before they were found dead.

Rental agent Jay Hu said the women had been good tenants since they began the lease two years ago, and provided a bank statement with “ample” savings, but things went awry earlier this year.

The bodies of the two women were found in separate bedrooms of a first floor unit in Canterbury. Picture NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard.

“They stopped paying rent, so my colleague contacted them … they said the money would be coming soon,” Mr Hu said.

“But it still didn’t come … a few more weeks went by and still not paid.”

Mr Hu said the tenants were given notice to vacate the property around May, and the agency had no further contact with the pair until police informed them of the deaths.

He said the unit, which was advertised for rent last week, had undergone renovations including new carpet and paint to “clean up” after the grisly deaths.

Arab news outlets reported the sisters fled Saudi Arabia via Hong Kong in 2017 with $5,000 savings, and were actively seeking asylum in Australia.

It has also been reported the pair renounced Islam and changed their names after arriving in their new country.

The sisters’ bodies being removed from the apartment building on the corner of Canterbury Road and Canton Street in Canterbury on June 7. Picture: Damian Shaw

The sisters lived in Fairfield for about three years before they moved to their unit in Canterbury.

Burwood police Detective Inspector Claudia Allcroft, who is in charge of the investigation, said police still knew very little about the circumstances leading up to their deaths, but there was nothing to suggest they had ‘run away’.

“We don’t know the cause of death, and it’s unusual because of their age and the nature of the matter,” she said.

The sisters’ bodies remain in a Sydney morgue while their belongings in the unit were “thrown out”.

“The police took what they needed, and the rest of it we were told to throw out,” Mr Hu said.