Mum claims daughter's death was 'honour killing' as husband sentenced
A man who allowed his wife to die after finding her tied up and badly injured at their Melbourne home, has been jailed for at least eight years.
Mohamed Naddaf pleaded guilty to the criminally negligent manslaughter of Ashlee Brown, 25, who died in their “unkempt and dirty” Craigieburn home in November 2016.
Justice John Champion, in sentencing Naddaf in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Friday, said Ms Brown was found in the passenger seat of the couple’s car after having been subjected to a “deliberate and frenzied assault” and tied up with clothesline wire.
Naddaf helped Ms Brown to the bathroom, laying her down on a flannelette sheet on the floor, and feeding her water through a syringe for five days.
He finally called triple zero on November 6 after Ms Brown died from complications arising from her numerous injuries and internal and external bleeding.
Justice Champion said he did not accept Naddaf’s claim that Ms Brown asked him not to call for help.
However, he said Naddaf’s motivation was unclear.
“The Crown is not in a position to prove who inflicted the injuries upon Ms Brown,” Justice Champion said.
“It is not possible to say exactly when Ms Brown died but… she suffered to a considerable degree.”
Right-wing activist group, the Australian Liberty Alliance, staged a protest outside court on Friday, condemning what Ms Brown’s mother Siobhan claimed was an “Islamic honour killing”.
Naddaf was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment and must serve at least eight years before being eligible for parole.
He has already served 621 days in pre-sentence detention.
