Janet Dweh death: Hassan W Jabbie faces Midland court charged with murder as woman’s family attends hearing

The married man accused of murdering Janet Dweh was having a “love affair” with the heavily pregnant woman and was the father of her unborn baby, the victim’s heartbroken brother has claimed. Ellenbrook man Hassan W Jabbie, 50, appeared in Midland Magistrates Court today for the first time after he was charged with murdering Ms Dweh, a mother-of-three, on October 3. Dozens of Ms Dweh’s family and friends, including her brother Darius, who discovered his sister’s murder on October 4, attended court with emotional scenes erupting outside the courthouse. Some of Ms Dweh’s loved ones wore T-shirts emblazoned with her face and held signs stating “justice 4 unborn baby” as they supported each other and sobbed — while others were visibly angry. At one point, several mourners broke into song. Mr Dweh said Mr Jabbie, who was well known to the family, was recently having a “love affair” with her and was “the person responsible for the pregnancy”. “To (allegedly) take away two human beings, even your own blood for that matter,” he said. Mr Jabbie has not been charged over the baby’s death. “At this stage, unfortunately that’s the law, but the judge will take into consideration the unborn baby, and we are hoping he will be charged for that,” he said. Mr Dweh said the family was “doing pretty good now” that police had made an arrest and thanked everybody from all over WA, the country and the globe for their support. He also thanked police, who he said had been working “relentlessly” to find the alleged killer. “We have been having sleepless nights, the community has been in fear, there has been dark clouds,” he said. “People have been barely getting an hour’s sleep. It has been hard for the family and it has been hard for the community as a whole, people don’t want to walk alone.” Mr Dweh said he would work relentlessly with the authorities to ensure that anyone “who is affiliated to this murder is brought to justice”. “We want justice to prevail,” he said. Mr Jabbie’s was questioned and released without charge over the murder five days after Ms Dweh, who was known to him, was found dead in her Mataro Drive home. His wife Charlene was also questioned and the couple’s home searched. Mr Jabbie was charged with one count of murder after another interrogation yesterday. Dressed in a black jacket and pants, he appeared in court from custody surrounded by two security guards. He was not read the charge. He was remanded in custody to appear in Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on October 27. Ms Dweh, who was just weeks away from giving birth to her fourth child, was found dead by Mr Dweh at her Mataro Drive home at 6pm on October 4 after she did not show up to a family event. It is understood Ms Dweh was found lying in her bed with several injuries, including to her head. “I’m still in shock, I’m still numb, but at least I can go and have more than an hour’s sleep,” Mr Dweh said today. He described his sister as “beautiful” and “always smiling”. “Wherever she is, I just want her to rest in peace and I’m going to make it my committent to look after her kids and give them the life they deserve”. Mr Jabbie’s arrest came after police last week scoured the nearby Walter Day Park and revealed they believed a “person of interest” drove past twice the night Ms Dweh was killed. More than two dozen members of the homicide squad, the forensic division and the air-wing drone team searched bushes, paths and two parking bays for clues – including a possible murder weapon. “We believe this person travelled around (the park) or from (the park) to Coast Road … and towards Janet’s home from around 7pm that Sunday, and then again later – approximately two to three hours later – returned back through this location,” Homicide squad Det-Supt Rod Wilde said last Friday. Ms Dweh worked at an aged care home in Marangaroo and had just started maternity leave before she was killed. Family friends said she fled war in Liberia and spent years in a Nigerian refugee camp before she came to Australia and worked as an aged care nurse.