Man who murdered girlfriend in Sydney’s northwest issues letter of apology

A man who killed his partner in an act of “cruel and senseless violence” says he will “live with the burden of guilt for the rest of his life”.

A man who murdered his partner and dumped her plastic-wrapped body in bushland in Sydney’s northwest says he will be “eternally plagued” by the horrific crime.

Vincent Carlino, 39, appeared at the King St Supreme Court in Sydney on February 7, supported by family, when sentencing submissions and a victim impact statement were read.

Carlino pleaded guilty last year to the murder of his girlfriend Shereen Kumar.

He was arrested in July 2022 at his Dural home in Sydney’s northwest just hours after police discovered Ms Kumar’s body wrapped in plastic in bushland off Laurie Rd.

Carlino reported his partner missing to police, claiming he was “extremely worried” about her wellbeing when she left home for a walk in her pyjamas and did not return.

Officers spent days searching the surrounding area for any trace of Ms Kumar before they ultimately made the gruesome discovery on September 10, 2022.

Vincent Carlino murdered his partner Shereen Kumar. Picture: Mad Dogs & Englishmen

Carlino and Ms Kumar had a tumultuous relationship, and on the day she died, the pair argued and Carlino called her 123 times in 42 minutes, according to the agreed facts.

In a lengthy letter to the court, Carlino apologised for the crime and says he will “live with the burden of guilt for the rest of his life”.

“I am filled with profound remorse and guilt for my actions,” he said.

“I cannot sufficiently express the depth of the sorrow that I feel for the pain I have caused to Shereen’s family and friends.

“I wish more than anything to turn back time and avoid this tragedy.

“I would like to offer my deepest apology to the Kumar family. I will be eternally plagued by my decisions, reactions and behaviour on this day.”

Meanwhile, Carlino’s brother Michael said in a letter to the court that he always looked up to his elder brother Vincent.

“I accept that this is a very serious charge against him and can confirm that over the last 2½ years Vincent has expressed to me his remorse for what has occurred,” he said.

In the letter, Michael also spoke of his brother’s prior good character.

“Vincent has always been a kind and patient person,” he said.

“This is an occurrence that is completely out of character for him, as he has always been a religious person who understands that it is unacceptable to harm others.”

Vincent’s other brother David added the charges had brought “embarrassment” to their family.

“Our family have struggled with the shame of Vincent’s actions, and he is well and truly aware of that,” he said in a separate letter to the court.

“It has brought embarrassment to not only himself but also to our family.”

The couple owned a popular dog walking business together. Picture: Facebook

‘Senseless’ death

Ms Kumar’s mother says she asks herself every day if her “senseless” death could have been prevented.

In the Supreme Court, Ms Kumar’s mother Roshni read a harrowing victim impact statement, telling the court her daughter’s death had “left a void” in their hearts.

“She was everything to our family, she was our world,” she said of the mother of two.

“Her sudden death shattered my husband and our life, leaving a void … my heart is broken and aches every day.

“We are no longer the same people we once were.

“The pain will stay with us for the rest of our lives.”

Her mother said Ms Kumar’s life had been “stolen” due to an act of “cruel and senseless violence”.

“Her children have been left without a mother and our family has been left broken,” she said.

“I keep asking myself if I had still been living with her and the family could I have prevented this?

“I don’t know if I will ever know the truth.”

Flowers placed outside the home next to bushland where Ms Kumar’s body was found.

Roshni added Shereen would bring the children over to visit regularly, for holidays and birthdays.

“Birthdays will never feel the same again. How can we celebrate when she’s no longer here to sing “Happy Birthday” with the children?” she said.

“I’ll never forget seeing her children lying beside her, asleep at my house, a reflection of their closeness.

“Three days before she passed, we shared KFC with the kids – a treat for them. It was a normal, happy day, and I never imagined it would be the last time I would see her.”

Ms Kumar and Carlino lived together in Dural after reconciling from a break-up, according to police. The pair had been seeing each other intermittently since April 2020.

The couple owned a popular dog walking business together. Ms Kumar also worked as a part-time model and had featured in Australian and international magazines.

The court was told how Ms Kumar and her family moved to Australia more than 20 years ago and both Ms Kumar and her sister Nikki had gone on to study at university.

“She was incredibly strong, independent and determined to succeed,” her mother said.

“She had big dreams, like becoming a veterinarian, and we were so proud of her.”

Carlino is due to appear in court again on April 7 for a sentence hearing.

Originally published as Man who murdered girlfriend in Sydney’s northwest issues letter of apology