Elena Baker learn an emotional assertion to the court docket wherein she described the deep damage brought on by her sister’s demise.
Her mom was “emotionally drowning” due to the homicide of her daughter, whose physique has by no means been discovered, Baker advised the court docket.
“She has crumbled with sadness, grief, regret and the never-ending taunting dialogue that it was somehow her fault,” she stated.
Baker advised Justice Robertson Wright that her household now approached life with excessive warning and mistrust of others.
Speaking about her personal expertise, she stated she suffered panic assaults and had developed an habit to good grades at college which she described as exhausting and taxing.
“I had nightmares and night terrors frequently, constantly reminding me that my sister and I left on a bad note,” she stated.
She expressed unhappiness she would by no means once more hear her sister’s voice, have enjoyable arguments along with her, go to the seaside as an entire household, or have a good time particular events collectively equivalent to graduations or weddings.
“She made humanity seem a whole lot brighter because of those hopeful sparkling green eyes,” Baker advised the court docket.
Hachem was arrested on March 8, 2019 whereas he was unemployed and dwelling on the household residence in Hurstville Grove.
He was in an “intermittent intimate relationship” with Samah Baker, a TAFE employee who was reported lacking on January 5, 2019 after a pal dropped her off in Parramatta.
The jury discovered Hachem dedicated the homicide on January 4.
Defence attorneys try to scale back Hachem’s sentence, saying childhood abuse he suffered by the hands of his father brought about PTSD and different emotional hurt.
Joseph Hachem on Tuesday described how he and his youthful brother could be whipped on the again and arm with tree branches by their father, a taxi driver who was an issue gambler.
“I hate eggplant and I was forced to eat it and if I didn’t eat it, I would get a beating,” Hachem advised defence counsel Daniel McMahon.
“We had a tree in the backyard. That was the go to, I’d say, arsenal where he’d pull down thin branches… and shave off the leaves and there’d be these little pricks.”
Whipped with these branches from the age of seven, Hachem stated he finally poisoned the tree with bleach and detergent from his mom’s laundry.
After the tree died, his father resorted to utilizing his belt, the court docket heard.
Under cross-examination, prosecutor Fiona Gray stated that in prior affidavits, Hachem had not stated something in regards to the alleged abuse.
In reality, he had been silent in regards to the beatings, failing to make complaints to his mom, different members of the family or the police till now when his brother was resulting from be sentenced, the barrister identified.
The defence crew has additionally argued the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on Hachem’s time in custody ought to lead to a diminished sentence.
Hachem has made responsible pleas to 2 fraud prices which will probably be taken under consideration when the decide palms down his sentence for homicide.
The listening to will proceed on April 14 subsequent yr when proof is given by Hachem’s psychologist.
