A man who was subject to a restraining order has been charged with the alleged murder of his wife after a horrific discovery inside her Sydney home.

Mother of five Khouloud Hawatt’s body was found by police on Wednesday after a relative raised concerns for her welfare.

Officers broke into the 31-year-old’s apartment in Belmore, in south-western Sydney, discovering she had been the subject of a “very violent murder at the scene”.

“She has probably been murdered sometime early this morning (Wednesday) and a triple-zero call was not made to us until 7.50am,” Superintendent Sheridan Waldau said.

It did not appear a weapon was used.

Police at the scene in Belmore in Sydney’s southwest. Photo: AAP

The woman’s partner was arrested soon after — 30 kilometres away in Denham Court — with the assistance of the organised crime squad Raptor.

He was charged with murder late Wednesday, as well as contravene ADVO (Apprehended Domestic Violence Order), use prohibited weapon contrary to prohibition order and fail to comply with digital evidence access order direction.

He will appear in Campbelltown Local Court on Thursday.

The 35-year-old had been subject to a restraining order to protect Hawatt, though no location or contact restrictions applied.

Several interactions between the man and police in the past 12 months, including a restraining order check in August, were characterised as minor by Waldau.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb, speaking shortly after the case came to light, used the opportunity to lament dozens of deaths to domestic violence.

At least 73 known deaths due to violence against women have occurred in 2024, according to community group Destroy the Joint.

“It’s something that keeps me awake at night, frankly – that women are not always safe,” Webb said.

“Victims of domestic violence are not always safe.”

Rates for most major offences in NSW have decreased significantly in the past decade, according to data released on Wednesday.

But domestic violence assaults, sexual assaults and other sexual offences have all trended up, with domestic violence growing 30 per cent and rapes doubling.

“Any death in a domestic violence setting breaks my heart,” Webb said.

“We focus so much time and energy working with our partners, right across government and non-government [agencies] to stop domestic violence.

“[But] we can’t arrest our way out of this, and we really need people to come forward.”

Of the femicides tracked in 2024 by Destroy the Joint, 23 have been in NSW.

That includes the brutal homicide of childcare worker Molly Ticehurst in April, which garnered national attention.

It also sparked changes to bail laws credited with keeping more accused people on remand.

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-with AAP