A Sydney woman who admitted killing her husband in what prosecutors accepted was excessive self-defence has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison.
Nirmeen Noufl, 55, was given a three-year non-parole period in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday. Because the sentence was backdated to her arrest in October 2024, she will become eligible to apply for parole in October 2027.
Noufl pleaded guilty to manslaughter in August, shortly before she was due to stand trial for the murder of her 62-year-old husband, Mamdouh Noufl. Prosecutors accepted the lesser plea on the basis that she had used excessive force while defending herself during an assault at the couple’s Greenacre home in May 2023.
Court considers history of domestic violence
According to agreed facts reported by ABC News, Noufl told psychiatrists that an argument became physical after her husband said he planned to marry another woman he had met in Egypt. She said he chased and struck her, pinned her to the kitchen floor and choked her.
Noufl said she reached for a nearby renovation tool and stabbed him while believing her life was in danger. Justice Peter Hamill said he was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that she intended to kill her husband.
The court heard evidence of a deeply troubled marriage marked by violence, psychological manipulation and coercive control. Six of the couple’s eight children provided written accounts concerning the abuse their mother experienced during the 22-year relationship.
Justice Hamill also considered Noufl’s traumatic childhood and mental health history. He found those experiences, together with the domestic violence in her marriage, were relevant to understanding the circumstances of the killing and determining the sentence.
Disposal of remains described as disturbing
After the killing, Noufl dismembered her husband’s body and placed his remains in garbage bags, which were disposed of in rubbish bins across south-west Sydney. His remains have never been found.
The judge described the disposal as the most disturbing feature of the case and said Noufl’s actions after the death were relevant to questions of remorse, rehabilitation and future risk. The court heard that the home was cleaned and that Noufl continued using her husband’s phone and social media accounts after his death.
Mamdouh Noufl was reported missing in July 2023. Police arrested his wife in October 2024 after searching the Greenacre property.
Family members express grief
Relatives of Mamdouh Noufl submitted victim impact statements describing the continuing pain caused by his death and the absence of a grave where they could pay their respects. His nephew criticised the sentence outside court and said the family believed a longer term was warranted.
The court also heard competing accounts of Mr Noufl’s character. While his relatives remembered him as kind and compassionate, several of his children described sustained violence against their mother and turmoil inside the family home.
Justice Hamill acknowledged that the prison term could appear inadequate to those grieving a permanent loss. However, he was required to sentence Noufl for manslaughter on the agreed basis of excessive self-defence, while weighing the seriousness of her conduct against the prolonged abuse she had experienced.
Parole is not automatic
Noufl’s eligibility date does not guarantee her release. A parole decision will consider matters including her behaviour in custody, rehabilitation, risk to the community and proposed living arrangements.
Her lawyer said she was remorseful and planned to live with her children after release. One daughter told the court she would return to Australia from overseas to support her mother and help her attend psychiatric appointments.
The case has highlighted the difficult task courts face when a serious unlawful killing occurs against a background of prolonged family violence, while also recognising the lasting harm suffered by the victim’s relatives.
Anyone affected by domestic, family or sexual violence can contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or via 1800respect.org.au. In an emergency, call Triple Zero.
