Woman stabbed in ‘attempted honour killing’ had her bank account emptied while she was in hospital, court told

A family accused of trying to kill a young Muslim woman in “an attempted honour killing” in Adelaide’s north put tracking apps on her phone, broke into her boyfriend’s house and drained her bank account while she was recovering in intensive care, a court has heard.

The Adelaide Magistrates Court heard the victim — who is now in protective accommodation — suffered a perforated kidney, lacerated liver and significant internal bleeding in the alleged attack at the Sefton Plaza Shopping Centre car park in November.

Five members of the woman’s family have been charged with her attempted murder – including her father and mother — after allegedly stabbing the 21-year-old in the abdomen several times with a large kitchen knife.

The court heard that, at the age of 17, the alleged victim had an arranged marriage to her cousin in northern Pakistan.

But the prosecutor told the court her family disapproved of her Christian Sri Lankan boyfriend, whom she had met at university.

“That relationship is something that her family strongly opposed, and that opposition has become increasingly violent,” the prosecutor told the court.

“She’s had two brothers break into the boyfriend’s house two days before this offending, she’s had tracking apps put on her phone.

“While she’s been in intensive care getting treatment her bank account has been drained, leaving 17 cents in that bank account.

“A way to describe this matter most appropriately would be an attempted honour killing.”

Brother-in-law ‘strongly’ contests charge

During a bail application from the alleged victim’s 28-year-old brother-in-law, the prosecutor said the young woman had been subjected to coercive control and ongoing threats since the attempted murder.

He said the alleged victim was put in a car after the assault and driven back to the family’s home in Blair Athol.

“At no point in time did any of them call for an ambulance,” the prosecutor told the court.

“Fortunately, her boyfriend was contacted by a friend and her boyfriend called police and the police called an ambulance to the family’s address.”

But the brother-in-law’s lawyer said his client “strongly” contested the charges and there was no suggestion he was holding the knife or drove in the same vehicle as the other accused.

He said the man only moved to Australia in 2019, and should be released from custody to help care for his two young children, as their mother was also in custody on the same charges.

But Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal refused bail, saying the protection of the alleged victim was paramount.

All five members of the family are expected to face court again in March.