Parents charged for ‘chaining up’ daughter inside Dubbo store to stop marriage they did not approve of

Two Sydney parents have been charged after allegedly detaining their daughter with chains and a padlock in an effort to stop her meeting up with her boyfriend, whose marriage proposal they had rejected a few weeks earlier.

Two parents have been charged after allegedly detaining their daughter with chains and a padlock in an effort to stop her meeting up with her boyfriend, whose marriage proposal they had rejected a few weeks earlier.

Mohamed Musaed Al-Fadhli, 52, and his wife Enam Hmeed, 45, were allegedly approached by their daughter’s partner in early April, when he asked them for their approval for him to marry her.

But the couple from Sydney’s west denied his approach, with police alleging the couple then took their daughter’s phone and bank card to stop her being able to connect with him.

Over the Easter long weekend the family travelled to Dubbo in the state’s west, where locals say they opened a convenience last year.

But when Al-Fadhli and Hmeed allegedly believed their daughter may be attempting to reconnect with her partner - who was also from Sydney’s west - they allegedly detained her in a makeshift residence at the back of the store.

The Ali Baba Convenience store in Dubbo where the daughter was allegedly chained up.

NSW Police said in a statement officers had first been called to the convenience store at 9.13pm on Sunday, after receiving a report of an assault.

But when they arrived, the officers were allegedly turned away by Ms Hmeed, who told them that everything was fine.

“Officers attached to Orana Mid-Western Police District attended the scene and spoke to a 45-year-old woman, who allegedly denied any knowledge of an assault,” the police statement read.

“Police left the location and continued to make inquiries.”

But some 90 minutes later police received more reports of the daughter being assaulted and returned, this time entering the shop to find her allegedly being detained.

“About 10.45pm, police were called to the same location, following reports a woman was being assaulted and held against her will,” the police statement read.

The daughter was allegedly detained in a makeshift residence at the back of the store.

“Officers gained entry to a residence behind the shop, where they located an injured 21-year-old woman.”

Al-Fadhli and Hmeed were both arrested by officers and taken to Dubbo Police Station, where they were each charged with detaining in company with intent to getan advantage and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The husband and wife pair both faced Parramatta Bail Court on Easter Monday, when they were remanded in custody until their next appearance at Dubbo Local Court on Thursday.

Police have also taken out apprehended violence orders against Al-Fadhli and Hmeed, for the protection of their daughter.

Locals in Dubbo said the convenience store had remained closed over recent days.

A teenage boy who also happened to be at the shop at the time was charged with common assault over his alleged role in the incident.

He was refused bail and appeared in a children’s court earlier this week.

Originally published as Parents charged for ‘chaining up’ daughter inside Dubbo store to stop marriage they did not approve of