Bondi Beach Massacre: Estranged Wife Abandons Alleged Gunman’s Body to Destitute Burial as Chilling Details Emerge of His Radicalisation
- Wife Verna wants ‘nothing to do’ with Sajid Akram, signing his body over to the government after the deadly attack
- Sajid was homeless and living in Airbnbs across Sydney’s southwest in the six months before the terror attack
- He and his son Naveed allegedly received ‘military-style training’ in the southern Philippines, a claim Philippine officials are urgently pushing back on
The estranged wife of alleged Bondi gunman Sajid Akram has made a shocking decision, refusing to claim his body and instead signing it over to the government for a destitute burial. Verna’s move comes as new details emerge of Sajid’s radicalisation, including his homelessness and alleged links to ISIS.
In the six months leading up to the deadly attack, Sajid had been living in Airbnbs across Sydney’s southwest, with his last known address being a short-term rental property in Campsie. It was from this property that Sajid and his 24-year-old son Naveed drove to Bondi Beach on December 14, allegedly opening fire on Jewish families celebrating Hanukkah.
According to 7News, Verna has told authorities she wants ‘nothing to do with him’ and is unwilling to claim his body. The decision means Sajid’s body will remain in the morgue at the coroner’s office, awaiting a destitute burial.
As investigators piece together the events leading up to the attack, it has emerged that Sajid and Naveed allegedly received ‘military-style training’ in the southern Philippines. The claim is being probed by Australian investigators, but Philippine officials have pushed back, rejecting the “misleading characterisation of the Philippines as an ISIS training hotspot”.
The pair’s trip to the Philippines has raised questions about their radicalisation, with authorities in India revealing that Sajid had made six trips to his native country since migrating to Australia. However, Indian officials suspect that Sajid’s radicalisation occurred in Australia, rather than in India.
Sajid’s family in Hyderabad has claimed they had “no knowledge” of his radicalisation, with a neighbour describing the family as “silent and peaceful”. The family’s loved ones, including Sajid’s elderly mother and doctor brother, still live in the family home in the middle-class Muslim neighbourhood of Tolichowki.
As the investigation into the Bondi Beach massacre continues, Naveed remains in custody, charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act. His father’s body, meanwhile, will be laid to rest in a destitute burial, abandoned by the woman who once called him her husband.