A violent Sydney man who murdered his pregnant wife and dumped her lifeless body in a bathtub of hydrochloric acid in an attempt to cover up his horrific crime has been jailed for at least 16 years.
Meraj Zafar, 20, appeared before Sydney’s Supreme Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to murdering his wife Arnima Hayat, 19.
The couple had been married for four months when Zafar murdered Ms Hayat at their North Parramatta apartment on January 29, 2022.
The court was told that at the time, the aspiring doctor was attempting to end their marriage, which had been marred by violence and unhappiness.
Zafar bought 100 litres of hydrochloric acid from a Northmead Bunnings after murdering his pregnant wife and placed her body in the bathtub in an attempt to dispose of her remains and cover up his crime.
Meraj Zafar (right) was on Friday sentenced for the murder of his wife Arnima Hayat (left).
He married Ms Hayat in a secret Islamic ceremony in October 2021 that was not attended by either of their families.
Police took out an apprehended violence order protecting Ms Hayat in May 2021 after an enraged Zafar put his hands around her neck when he believed she had been seen with another man.
The court was told police found text messages on Ms Hayat’s phone telling her husband she wanted a divorce and threatening to go to police because he was violent towards her.
There was also evidence of his controlling behaviour, telling her she did not have his permission to leave the house and calling her a “dumb bitch”, the court was told.
She had also told friends that he had been aggressive and violent towards her.
Ms Hayat’s body was found naked and face down in a bathtub full of hydrochloric acid.
She was only discovered after Zafar told his mother that they had been involved in an altercation and she wasn’t breathing, prompting her to call the police, who made the grisly discovery when they forced their way into their home.
“They found her body naked, lying face down in the bathtub with her face hidden,” Justice Deborah Sweeney told the court during her sentencing remarks on Friday afternoon.
“She was not moving and there were no signs of breathing.
“Police found five 20 litre hydrochloric acid containers in the bathroom.
“There was a brown liquid in the bathtub, there was a strong chemical smell in the air.”
The court was told that after killing his wife, by either smothering her or choking her, he googled “can hydrochloric acid burn through skin” and “how many years do you get in Sydney for murder”.
The couple married in a secret ceremony; months later, Ms Hayat was dead.
During a sentence hearing last month, Ms Hayat’s grieving mother Mahafuza Akter said her life fell apart the day her daughter was murdered.
She told the court her tears were “never ending” and “the deep ache in my heart never stops”. “I cry day and night because she was stolen from me,” she said through tears.
In a letter addressed to the court and his victim’s family, Zafar said he took full responsibility and apologised for his action.
The murderer said no one should be treated with violence or “discarded” in the way his wife had been.
Justice Sweeney on Thursday sentenced Zafar to 21 years and six months in jail, with a 16-year non-parole period.