Momena Shoma, a student from Bangladesh, was suspected of stabbing Melbourne`s landlord, Roger Singaravelu., in February this year. On Wednesday, Shoma appeared in court, and her defense lawyers argued that it would take time to browse more than 1600 pages of evidence.
(photo source: news Corporation, Australia)
According to the Australian News Corp., Roger Singarvelu,56, lives in Mill Park, Melbourne, and, on February 7, he said he knew that Momena Shoma, a 24-year-old female student from Bangladesh, had no place to stay, so that she was eager to take her.
Singaravelu family (photo source: news Corporation, Australia)
Then on Feb. 9, two days after Shoma lived at Singaravelu`s house, Singarevalu said that when he woke up, he found Shoma standing beside himself with a knife, then shouting "Allahu Akbar" and rushing towards himself. Singarevalu was cut to the neck in front of her 5-year-old daughter.
Singaravelu (photo source: news Corporation, Australia)
"I told my daughter to run, and then I ran out of the house and, fortunately, my neighbors helped us," said Singaravelu, who suffered vertebral fractures and multiple cuts during the attack.
Shoma is said to have been inspired by a terrorist group, ISIS, and more information in Wednesday`s trial showed that she was staying with another Australian family for a few days before Shoma arrived at the Singaravelu house, when she allegedly practiced using a stinging mattress.
(photo source: news Corporation, Australia)
The Singaravelu family also sued (ANH), the Australian host family network, because they arranged for Shoma to live in their home, and ANH houses more than 40, 000 students a year. Aki Munir, a defense lawyer for Singaravelu, said ANH had not adequately investigated Shoma`s background. Shoma came to Australia with a student visa on Feb. 1, but moved out within a few days of his last host family.
In a recent trial, Shoma`s defense lawyers argued that it would take time to browse more than 1600 pages of evidence, including some text, Google searches and more than 400 pages of encrypted WhatsApp chat records.
Shoma has been remanded and will appear again before the Melbourne Magistracy on Aug. 1.
