By Sarah McPhee
Warning: Graphic content
The mother of a pregnant woman murdered by her husband before he put her body in a bath of acid has broken down in tears on the floor of a Sydney court after hearing the killer could spend just 16 years in jail.
Arnima Hayat, 19, had been studying medical science and had wanted to leave her husband, Meraj Zafar, when he killed her inside their North Parramatta unit on the night of January 29, 2022.
Arnima Hayat was murdered by her husband, Meraj Zafar.
Zafar, 23, pleaded guilty earlier this year to Hayat’s murder. The day after the killing, Zafar was captured on CCTV driving a truck to Bunnings Northmead and buying five 20-litre tubs of acid over two trips, which he poured into the bath in an attempt to dispose of Hayat’s remains.
Sentencing Zafar in the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney on Thursday, Justice Deborah Sweeney said he had acted with “reckless indifference to life” by either choking or smothering Hayat.
“He acted in such a way because of his anger at the prospect of Ms Hayat leaving him,” the judge said. “This was against a background of controlling and violent behaviour by the offender. The offence occurred in the home of Ms Hayat, where she was entitled to feel safe.”
Arnima Hayat’s mother Mahafuza Akter (right) broke down after her daughter’s killer was sentenced.Credit: Steven Siewert
Sweeney said she had considered these factors, along with Zafar’s “conduct in relation to her body after her death” and that he “did not undertake any significant planning or organisation in killing Ms Hayat”.
The judge assessed the offence as “in the mid-range of seriousness” for murder and jailed Zafar for a maximum of 21½ with a non-parole period of 16 years.
Hayat’s mother, Mahafuza Akter, was inconsolable as the sentence was delivered, sobbing and wailing on the floor of the court.
Sweeney acknowledged that in sentencing Zafar she “must vindicate the dignity of the victim Ms Hayat and express the community’s disapproval of the crime against her”.
“I take into account that he was employed before he committed this offence, and he is accepting of his need for rehabilitation,” she said. “Given his youth, his limited prior record and that attitude it seems he has positive prospects of rehabilitation.”
The agreed facts state Zafar’s motive “was his anger at the prospect of Ms Hayat leaving him and the end of the marriage … in the context of Ms Hayat being pregnant at the time”.
Hayat was unable to be identified by her family due to the decomposition of her body from the immersion, and her identity was confirmed using DNA samples.
In a victim impact statement, Hayat’s father Abu Hayat said Zafar had “burned the face I used to talk to and kiss every night”.
Meraj Zafar has been jailed for a maximum of 21½ years, with a non-parole period of 16 years.Credit: Facebook
“Can you imagine someone burning your child? I can never see her again,” he said.
Hayat’s mother said she would give anything to see her daughter’s face “one more time”, but instead sits by her grave “stroking the grass because I can no longer stroke her hair”.
The judge acknowledged the family’s “loss of a future with their daughter and sister”.
Hayat and Zafar married in a private Islamic ceremony in October 2021 without the attendance or support of their families. After Hayat moved out, her parents had no contact with her “for the remainder of her life”, the judge said.
On a number of occasions in 2021, Hayat complained to friends about Zafar being violent towards her.
Police released this image as part of their appeal to speak to Meraj Zafar.Credit: NSW Police
In text messages between the couple, tendered to the court, Hayat spoke of Zafar “bashing” and beating her “almost to death”, being a “slave”, marrying an “abusive guy”, and asking for a divorce.
“Meraj when ppl finds out about us you’re going to jail for years and years,” Hayat wrote in December 2021.
Zafar replied: “And who’s gonna find out.”
In another message, Hayat said she did not want a son like Zafar, to which he replied, “We will have many sons … just like me.”
The court heard Zafar sent messages to Hayat including that she “did not have his permission to leave the house” and called her a “dumb bitch”.
On the night of her murder, Hayat messaged a friend, saying: “I have nobody except you.”
The friend replied: “You have got no choice. You have to stay with him.”
In a final message at 9.10pm, Hayat wrote: “No, I hate him.” Within 45 minutes, she was dead.
Zafar’s internet searches after killing Hayat included “can hydrolic [sic] acid burn through skin”, “Bunnings near me”, “how many years do you get in Sydney for murder”, “9 news live” and “Parramatta police station”.
The judge was not persuaded that hallucinations Zafar reported in custody were genuine, but accepted he had expressed genuine remorse in a letter to the court in which he said he took “full responsibility”.
Zafar will be eligible for parole from March 2038.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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