Inside story of horrific allegations against woman accused of butchering husband

The true extent of the horrific circumstances surrounding the case of a woman who allegedly butchered her husband can be revealed for the first time.

WARNING: Distressing content

The woman who is alleged to have murdered her husband and cut up his remains was subjected to years of abuse by him and other family members and reported hearing “angels” amid the mental scars of years of trauma, according to court documents.

Nirmeen Noufl, 54, is accused of murdering her husband Mamdouh, butchering his body and then disposing of his remains across southwestern Sydney.

The horrifying allegations levelled against Ms Noufl have been revealed in court documents, which also claim she had a tortured upbringing and detail her battle with mental illness.

The documents reveal horror claims about the woman’s life, including that she was physically abused from a young age by her father and mother and was forced into an arranged marriage where she again experienced physical abuse.

Mr Noufl, who was commonly known as Emad, was last seen in May last year before he was reported missing two months later.

His remains have not been found and last month Ms Noufl, who has been charged with his murder, was denied bail by the NSW Supreme Court.

Nirmeen Noufl is alleged to have murdered her husband. Picture: Instagram

20 TO 30 RUBBISH BAGS

The couple, who had eight children together, had been married for over 34 years, during which time they ran small businesses.

Up until 2020, Mr Noufl ran a Newtown convenience store and she was a childcare provider and later owned an NDIS business.

According to a police fact sheet tendered to the Supreme Court during Ms Noufl’s bail application, Mr Noufl travelled to Egypt in 2022 and became engaged to another woman.

Police allege Ms Noufl found out about the other woman that year, causing “tensions” in their marriage.

However, that assertion has been denied by her lawyers who said she had for several years been aware of his infidelity.

Mr Noufl sent the woman 550,000 Egyptian pounds, or about $15,000, to “assist with setting up a new life together in Egypt”, according to the police.

In April 2023, Mr Noufl sold a Condell Park investment property for $1.69m.

On May 3 last year, Mr Noufl went to the Egyptian consulate with his wife and signed over power of attorney.

That evening, he went to Burwood to go for a walk with an associate and arrived at his Greenacre home about 9pm.

It’s alleged that he was killed sometime between arriving home and 2am during a physical altercation with his wife.

Police say it’s unknown how Mr Noufl was killed but allege that Ms Noufl had minor facial injuries as a result of the altercation.

According to the court documents, it’s alleged Ms Noufl placed plastic sheets on the floor and cut up her husband using kitchen knives and a drop saw before she put his body parts in 20 to 30 plastic rubbish bags.

She is accused of cleaning the crime scene using chemicals and bleach over the following days and placing his body parts in residential and industrial bins across Bexley and Chullora.

Police further alleged that the flooring in the home’s kitchen, living room and dining room was ripped up and replaced and she disposed of two leather lounges.

Mamdouh Noufl was allegedly cut up with kitchen knives and a drop saw. Picture: Supplied

THE MESSAGES

It’s alleged that after his death, Ms Noufl took control of his phone and social media accounts, using them to make out that he was still alive.

According to police, his family and friends “received messages from (Mr Noufl’s) mobile phone and social media accounts that were unusual and not typically how (Mr Noufl) communicated”.

It’s alleged she also used his social media accounts to demand that his “female companion in Egypt” return money given to her by Mr Noufl.

An exchange between Mr Noufl’s “female companion” and Mr Noufl’s Facebook account in Arabic is revealed in court documents.

According to the police fact sheet tendered in court, Mr Noufl’s account sent a message saying: “Peace be with you. I urgently need money. Of the money you owe, transfer to me 550,000 (Egyptian pounds).”

The account then sent through a bank account number and asked for a picture to confirm the transfer had been sent.

The woman replied: “Peace be with you. Please, before I transfer the money, I need you to call me so I can be sure that it is you who is asking for it, and I assure you that I am holding it on trust, and you will take it for sure, but I think I have the right to be sure.

“If you cannot call me, you may send a voice recording in which you ask for it. Thank you anyway.”

Mr Noufl’s account replied: “You have no shame. You know that this money belongs to my wife Nirmeen.”

After further exchanges, the woman sent through proof that the money had been forwarded to the account.

Ms Noufl went to Egypt in May 2023 and returned in July with $US200,000 ($A154,000) in her possession, which was believed to be proceeds from the sale of one of Mr Noufl’s Egyptian properties.

The Greenacre home where Mr Noufl was allegedly murdered. Picture: Supplied

‘INHERENT WEAKNESSES’

Ms Noufl is due to appear in Burwood Local Court next week and has yet to enter a plea.

Last month, she asked to be released on bail to seek treatment for her mental illnesses, pointed to her strong community ties in Sydney and argued it was estimated that any trial would not take place until 2026.

In court documents, her lawyers attacked the strength of the Crown case and described it as having “inherent weaknesses”.

Her barristers, Greg James KC and Johnson Jiang, wrote in submissions to the court that there was evidence that Mr Noufl was violent towards Ms Noufl during their marriage, a claim that was supported by police having been called as well as statements made to her doctor.

They further argued she had no motive to kill Mr Noufl, saying that she knew about the other woman in Egypt.

“Whilst the police describe Mr Noufl to have engaged in an affair with a woman in Egypt and that this caused tension between (Ms Noufl) and Mr Noufl, Mr Noufl’s infidelities are a known quantity to (Ms Noufl) and her family and it would not come as any great shock so as to kill him,” her lawyers wrote.

They further argued that she had a clean criminal history, was not known to be a violent person and had no financial motives.

Her lawyers also said there was evidence “as to the violent nature of Mr Noufl”.

The court has been told that Ms Noufl reported that Mr Noufl was abusive and in 2012 she told a medical practitioner that she was a victim of domestic violence.

Police were also called in 2008 and 2009, the court was told, following reports of domestic violence.

Police were called to their home in September 2009 after Mr Noufl and his wife argued over her request for a divorce.

When police arrived she reported to officers a “long history of physical violence”.

It was reported to police that he picked up a knife and told her: “I would rather see you dead than give you a divorce.”

And when he put down the knife, she picked it up, but he took it from her grasp during a struggle, the court documents state.

Forensic police during a search of the couple’s Greenacre home. Picture: NSW Police

Police have alleged that the flooring was ripped up after Mr Noufl was killed. Picture: NSW Police

‘SEVERE BEATINGS’

In an affidavit handed up to the court, Ms Noufl’s younger sister detailed how they were both subjected to domestic violence by their father when they were young.

She also said they were beaten by their mother while they lived with her in Syria as young children, describing being forced into servitude.

The sister claimed Ms Noufl was “stripped”, beaten “with an electric chord” and was forced to make coffee “as if Nirmeen was a slave”.

She described their living arrangements as being like “captivity” and said she continually ran away.

“The beatings we experienced in Syria haunt me till today and have affected me forever,” she said.

They eventually returned to Australia to live with their father.

The sister said Ms Noufl returned to Australia 2½ years after her, and when she landed in Sydney, Ms Noufl looked like a “Holocaust survivor”, her sister said in her affidavit.

“Extremely fragile, hardly speaking or eating,” she said of her sister’s appearance upon her return to Australia.

“Her teeth were black, and she spent most of her days confined to her bedroom.”

She said her father arranged for Ms Noufl, when she was about 18 or 19, to be married to Mr Noufl, who at the time was attempting to immigrate to Australia but repeatedly had his visa application refused.

“I believe he sold Nirmeen and it was purely a money deal,” she said, adding that Nirmeen did not meet her husband until the day of their wedding.

The sister said during the marriage, Mr Noufl “treated Nirmeen like a slave” and subjected her to physical abuse.

“She endured severe beatings simply for wearing a T-shirt in the backyard,” the sister wrote.

She also said her sister had “experienced mental breakdowns” and “always suffered from mental health conditions” as a result of their traumatic upbringing and abuse.

She detailed how Ms Noufl would say: “I can see and hear the angels talking to me.”

The sister said this occurred “frequently” after Ms Noufl was subjected to abuse and it “continued into adulthood”.

The court was told last month that Ms Noufl had been diagnosed with a depressive disorder and PTSD, and a forensic psychiatrist had observed she had possible psychotic symptoms.

Ms Noufl was arrested in October at Bankstown Hospital, where she had checked herself in as a mental health inpatient.

Ms Noufl will appear in court again on December 11.