Mohamed Naddaf could spend just eight years in jail
THE mother of a beaten wife who slowly bled to death on a bathroom floor over five days says the sentence handed to her son-in-law was heavier than she expected.
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THE mother of a beaten wife who bled to death on a bathroom floor over five days says the sentence handed to her son-in-law was heavier than she expected.
Mohamed Naddaf, 38, will spend at least eight years in jail after pleading guilty to negligent manslaughter for failing to seek medical assistance for Ashlee Brown, 25, in their Craigieburn home in November 2016.
An emotional Siobhann Brown told the Herald Sun: “But it still doesn’t change what I have been saying, that no one is held to account for the murder of my daughter.”
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Ms Brown has been calling for an overhaul of manslaughter laws to ensure more accountability for victims.
“It’s hard that no one will ever be named for killing Ashlee in that way,” she said.
“Something has to change. We need Ashlee’s Law. I am worried about where this country is headed. They don’t have the balls to hold up Australian law.”
Ms Brown said support from the public and family was “very empowering”.
“I felt the love, the unity that made it make me able to go into the court today,” she said.
“It was very overwhelming hearing what the judge said, very emotional.”
Police did not have enough evidence to say who inflicted the more than 100 wounds found on her bloodied body. Naddaf claimed he found his injured wife bound and with blood from head to toe in the passenger seat of their car, parked in the garage, when he woke.
The father of three told police he had last seen her when they went to bed together the night before.
He said he never called an ambulance because Ms Brown begged him not to as it would bring them to the attention of authorities and they would take their children.
So instead he took her to the bathroom, gave her a blanket, tended to her wounds and fed her medication and water through a syringe until she died five days later.
Supreme Court judge Justice John Champion, sentencing Naddaf to 11 years in jail with parole after eight, said he was “at a loss” as to why no further action was taken.
“Her death was slow, miserable and avoidable,” Justice Champion said.
“Your inaction allowed her to die with a lack of dignity — you could have taken steps to stop that occurring.”
He said Naddaf’s attempts at treating his wife were “pathetically weak”.
Photos showing the extensive injuries to Ms Brown’s head, torso, arms and legs were “appalling and heartbreaking”, Justice Champion said.
“It is clear Ms Brown was subjected to a terrible beating,” he said. “However, there is no explanation how, or by whose hands.”
Police say they are not looking for anyone else in relation to her death.
Outside court, Ms Brown’s heartbroken mother Siobhann, surrounded by family and friends, protested and called for an overhaul of the justice system.
Holding signs saying “Justice for Ashlee”, chants of “What do we want?” were followed by “Justice for Ashlee”, and “When do we want it?”, “Now”.
Ms Brown said it was “unbearable” to know her daughter suffered for so long and that no-one would be charged with her murder.
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