‘Concerned’ boyfriend charged with bushland murder

A man has been charged with murdering his girlfriend and dumping her body in bushland, days after claiming he was assisting police find the woman.

Shereen Kumar was found murdered in busland near her home in Dural on Saturday evening.

A 37-year-old man has been charged with murdering his girlfriend and dumping her body in bushland in northwest Sydney, days after claiming he was helping police to find the 43-year-old mother who vanished last week.

Shereen Kumar – who was last seen leaving her Dural property in a purple dressing gown and white pyjamas – was found dead by police and emergency services on Saturday night after a three-day search ended in thick bushland in Sydney’s Hills District.

Investigators located her body minutes away from her Dural property shortly before 6pm but would not reveal details of her murder or of the lead-up to her disappearance

Vincent Carlino, the boyfriend and business partner of Ms Kumar, was later arrested and charged with her murder, after he had told media he was “extremely concerned” for Ms Kumar’s safety after her dis­appearance on Thursday.

Shereen Kumar. Picture: Facebook

Mr Carlino said Ms Kumar had left the house in her pyjamas and forgotten to take her mobile.

Last year, Ms Kumar and Mr Carlino became franchise owners of a popular pet walking service in Hornsby and Chatswood on Sydney’s upper north shore.

Ms Kumar, who worked as a part-time model for several magazines and previously ran a human resources consultancy, had been living with Mr Carlino after separating from her husband, with whom she had two children.

Shereen Kumar and Vincent Carlino in a recent photo promoting their business. Picture: Facebook

It’s understood the children live with their father and had little contact with Ms Kumar because of her troubled relationship with Mr Carlino.

Jane Tweedy, a former associate who worked with Ms Kumar for several years, said news of her disappearance had shocked many former colleagues, who remembered her as a happy, kind and energetic person.

“She was a well-known person in the business community. Before she took up the franchise, she attended a lot of events and was a popular person, very friendly and caring,” Ms Tweedy said.

“Shereen was not a weak or fragile person.”

Police officers head down to where the body of Shereen Kumar was found.

Mr Carlino was refused bail at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday and remanded in custody until September.