Arabic version: الحكم على نرمين نوفل بثلاث سنوات كحد أدنى قبل الإفراج المشروط

According to ABC News, Sydney woman Nirmeen Noufl has received a minimum prison term of three years after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of her husband, Mamdouh Noufl.

Justice Peter Hamill sentenced the 55-year-old to six years and three months in prison, with a non-parole period of three years. As she has been in custody since her October 2024 arrest, Noufl will be eligible for parole in October next year.

Noufl pleaded guilty to manslaughter last month, as her Supreme Court murder trial was due to begin. Prosecutors accepted the plea on the basis of excessive self-defence. Agreed facts said an argument in May 2023 became physical and Noufl said she had been assaulted, pinned to the kitchen floor and choked before stabbing her husband with a nearby renovation tool because she believed her life was in danger.

The court heard that Noufl later dismembered the body and that the remains were placed in garbage bags and dumped in bins around south-west Sydney with help from a witness who cannot be identified for legal reasons. Mamdouh Noufl, 62, was reported missing in July 2023, and his body has not been found.

Justice Hamill said he was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Noufl intended to kill her husband, but described the disposal of the body as a disturbing feature of the case. He also found her history of childhood dysfunction and domestic violence relevant to sentencing. Evidence from the couple’s children described the relationship as gravely abusive, involving violence, manipulation and coercive control.

Relatives of Mamdouh Noufl provided statements about his positive qualities and the lasting pain of his loss. Outside court, his nephew criticised the outcome. Defence lawyer Mohamed Bejjaoui said Noufl planned to live with her children after release and was distressed and remorseful.