Police have revealed some of the troubled past of a husband arrested after his wife was found dead in a “very violent murder scene” inside the couple’s home.
Police rushed to a unit complex on Knox Street in Belmore, in Sydney’s southwest, at 7.50am on Wednesday after receiving a call from a relative of the woman.
Khouloud Hawatt, a mother of five, was found dead inside one of the apartments.
Her husband, Talaat Hawatt, 35, was arrested at Denham Court, about 30 kilometers east of Belmore, and is expected to be charged with murder.
The couple, who married in 2015, have five children ranging in age from six months to eight years and some of them attend Belmore North public school.
Superintendent Sheridan Waldau said Ms Hawatt died “early this morning” and officers attending to her stumbled upon “a very violent murder scene”.
Hawatt has a history of weapons offenses and his wife had an apprehended violence order against him when she was allegedly murdered, Supt Waldau said.
Police had also responded less than 48 hours earlier when he was allegedly involved in an incident at the school two of his children attended.
Khouloud Hawatt, a mother of five, was found dead inside a unit in Belmore on Wednesday.
Her husband, Talaat Hawatt, was arrested by police on Wednesday.
A crime scene has been established at the unit block on Knox Street in Belmore (pictured)
“It’s very difficult to enforce these things if they’re not reported,” he said.
‘And that’s the most important thing about domestic violence: the victims don’t come forward.
‘The family and friends of these people should encourage them to come and inform us, because we cannot help them if they do not ask us for help.
‘We know that it takes victims some time, up to 27 times, before they come to us for help.
“It’s a tragedy when things like this happen.”
Police received a call regarding Hawatt on Monday when he had a “minor interaction” with a teacher at the school two of his children attended.
He had left school when police arrived and police went to his home to talk to him about it, but no crimes were committed, police said.
Superintendent Waldau confirmed the man was known to the strike force against domestic violence offenders, known as Operation Amarok.
Hawatt (pictured right) has been taken to Campbelltown Police Station where he is currently being interviewed by homicide squad detectives.
“I know Amarok had noticed it before, and Campsie police checked it in August,” he told the media.
A woman who knew Hawatt said she had spoken to her on Tuesday and there was no indication anything was wrong.
He claimed that the family was going to be kicked out of the house in a few weeks and that neighbors had complained about them shouting and slamming doors.
It is understood the young mother has no family in Australia, but Mr Hawatt’s father lived in Condell Park, in Sydney’s southwest.
‘The mother used to come to our shop. She was very calm. It’s very sad because they have five children,” a local worker told Daily Mail Australia.
Police are seen outside a house in Sydney’s southwest on Wednesday.