Man Accused of Stabbing Woman to Death Before Dumping Her Body in the Ocean

A man in Australia has been accused of stabbing a woman to death before dumping her body in the ocean.

The Western Australia Police Force confirmed to PEOPLE that the body of a woman was found in the water near Success Boat Harbour in South Fremantle in Perth, Western Australia (WA) by a member of the public on Dec. 4, 2022.

While police did not confirm the woman’s name in a timeline of events, she was identified as Helen Jeremy Solomon Marsuk, 25, from the suburb of Koongamia, 9 News previously reported.

Authorities noted that a man was charged with one count of murder in relation to the death five days later.

The WA Supreme Court confirmed to PEOPLE in an email that Muhammad Abdur Rehman Mirza is facing a murder charge relating to the alleged offense date, thought to be Dec. 1, 2022, three days before Marsuk’s body was found.

Per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), it was a recreational fisherman who found the victim’s body floating face down in the water. She’d suffered 16 “penetrating sharp force injuries,” the outlet noted.

In court, prosecutors accused Mirza, 23, of inviting the victim to his home to have sex with him in exchange for drugs, per the ABC.

When he was first questioned by the police, the outlet alleged that Mirza accused a drug dealer of murdering Marsuk, saying that he was also injured and threatened in the altercation. However, he allegedly told an undercover operative that he was responsible for the murder, which he said was an act of self-defense.

The pair had allegedly communicated via the messaging app Telegram, and Mirza alleged he was providing Marsuk, who was reportedly addicted to methylamphetamine, with drugs, the ABC stated. However, the victim allegedly got angry when she realized the suspect didn’t have any drugs and Mirza claimed she armed herself with a knife.

Citing her multiple wounds, four of which were potentially fatal, prosecutor Katrin Robinson pointed out that Mirza continued to attack the victim, who was “much more injured than him.” Robinson alleged that the suspect didn’t call an ambulance because he didn’t want the police to get involved, the outlet noted.

Prosecutors alleged that Mirza hid the victim’s body in his bathroom for days before disposing of it in the ocean. He has even been accused of hosting a friend in his apartment during that time.

Mirza allegedly kept the door to the room where the remains were locked, the ABC reported.

Defense lawyer Simon Watters insisted his client reached for the knife after Marsuk became “aggressive and upset,” the outlet stated.

“He wasn’t necessarily looking where he was stabbing,” the lawyer claimed.

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The jury trial is listed until Sept. 19, 2025, the WA Supreme Court confirmed to PEOPLE.

Defense lawyer Simon Watters declined to comment when approached by PEOPLE for a statement.