Dural mother Shereen Kumar: Boyfriend accused of murder told neighbours she ‘had depression’

A dog walker accused of murdering his model girlfriend allgedly told neighbours she had depression and fled their home in the cold and rain after a heated argument.

Vincent Carlino, 37, sought comfort from his neighbours out the front of his Dural home in Sydney‘s northwest shortly after reporting Shereen Kumar, 43, missing on Thursday, July 21.

While most houses in the isolated street are separated by huge blocks of land, Carlino and Ms Kumar were living in a tidy weatherboard duplex and shared a wall with their neighbours. 

Both couples only moved in over the last three months but were slowly coming to know one another. 

Carlino confided in the couple that he and Ms Kumar had a falling out a night earlier and shared the story he’d also told police – that she fled the home with nothing but the pyjamas and dressing gown on her back.

He also made a point of telling them that Ms Kumar suffered bouts of depression and that he’d ‘keep them updated’ with news, they told Daily Mail Australia on the condition of anonymity.  

Shereen Kumar, 43, (pictured) has been remembered as an ‘incredible mother’ by her heartbroken family 

While most houses in the isolated street are separated by huge blocks of land, Carlino and Ms Kumar were living in a small weatherboard duplex and shared a wall with their neighbours

It was cold, raining and miserable the night Ms Kumar disappeared. There are no street lights on Taylors Road and much of the grass had turned to mud after weeks of persistent wet weather. The couple were shocked anybody would want to be caught outdoors on such a night

It was cold, raining and miserable that night. There are no street lights on Taylors Road and much of the grass had turned to mud after weeks of persistent wet weather. 

The couple were shocked anybody would want to be caught outdoors on such a night, but offered their support to Carlino nonetheless as the search for his missing girlfriend got underway. 

Ms Kumar was found dead in dense bushland just four minutes away from her home on Saturday afternoon, bringing an end to a four-day search.

Carlino was arrested at his home just hours later and taken to Hornsby Police Station, where he was charged with a domestic violence murder.

Neighbours are still holding out hope charges will be dropped, struggling to reconcile the ‘kind guy’ they know with the allegations made against him.

‘We’ve never heard them argue,’ the woman next door said.

‘We share a wall so we know everything. If they shower, we know. If they leave the house, we know. He’s a nice guy and they’re a hardworking couple. We just don’t know what happened.’

Carlino and Ms Kumar ran a dog walking business in Sydney’s northern suburbs 

Ms Kumar’s van remains in the couple’s driveway as police continue to investigate her death

On Monday morning, Ms Kumar’s neighbours packed some bags and left the home as the police investigation into her death continues

The woman, who works as a lawyer in the local area, said her line of work allowed her to ‘rationally and logically’ understand the charges, but her experience with Carlino personally made it hard to accept.

‘He said they argued… They got into an argument and he told me that she has depression,’ the neighbour said.

Family and friends contacted by Daily Mail Australia have not made reference to Ms Kumar’s mental health.

‘He said if he heard any news he’d tell me.’ 

Carlino and Ms Kumar took over as the franchises of the Hornsby Mad Dogs & Englishmen pet walking service in October last year 

Police remain at the couple’s home as investigations into Ms Kumar’s death continue

On Monday morning, the couple packed some bags and left the home as the police investigation into Ms Kumar’s death continues.

Police will allege Carlino killed Ms Kumar sometime after 9pm on Wednesday, wrapped her in plastic and tape, then dumped her body 2.5km from their home. 

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The pair began dating in April 2021 and had an ‘on and off’ relationship, according to police.

They broke up late last year before reconciling and moving to Dural together in May. 

Ms Kumar will be remembered as ‘quiet and lovely’ among neighbours in the street. She came across as hardworking but rarely said much. 

Police will allege Carlino and Ms Kumar had an ‘on and off’ relationship dating back to April 2021

Her ex-husband Gurpreet Beehan, who is the father of her two kids, told Daily Mail Australia the family are ‘heartbroken’ and will ‘ensure’ she gets the justice she deserves.

He said Ms Kumar was a ‘strong woman’ who was devoted to their children, and her death had created a hole in their lives that would never be filled.

‘She was an incredible mother to our kids and she will be missed forever,’ Mr Beehan said.

‘No one can replace a mother and this has left us all devastated.’

Carlino claimed Ms Kumar was last seen leaving her home on Taylors Road, in Dural in Sydney’s north west, in her pyjamas about 9pm on Wednesday 

Mr Beehan said he had to have a difficult conversation with his children about what happened to their mother.

‘I don’t have the answers,’ he said.

Carlino told police Ms Kumar was last seen leaving her home on Taylors Road, in Dural, in her pyjamas at about 9pm on Wednesday.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia earlier this week, Carlino said he was ‘extremely worried’ about his missing partner.

After days of searching, detectives found a body matching the woman’s description just in bushland off Laurie Road on Saturday at 5.50pm.

Just after 11.30pm on Saturday, police arrested Mr Carlino at the home he shared with Ms Kumar.

He was taken to Hornsby police station and formally charged with murder (DV). He was refused bail to appear in Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday.

In court, Carlino did not apply for bail, with his lawyer Elias Tabchouri telling reporters his client was ‘very concerned’ about the allegations.

Mr Tabochouri said it was still ‘too early to say’ how his client intends to plead.

‘At this stage I don’t have any instructions other than to wait for the evidence and go from there,’ Mr Tabchouri told 7News.

Carlino earlier told Daily Mail Australia he saw Ms Kumar leaving their home about 9pm on Wednesday. He alleged she left wordlessly and hadn’t been seen since.

‘She left and didn’t take her phone or the van,’ he said. ‘I’m extremely worried.

‘I’ve told police all of the places I think she could be.’

Vincent Carlino (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia earlier this week that he was ‘extremely worried’ about his missing partner, 43-year-old Shereen Kumar. He’s since been charged with her murder

Just four months after striking up a relationship in April 2021, Ms Kumar and Carlino went into business together; starting a pet-walking franchise, Mad Dogs & Englishmen. 

Ms Kumar later became the Director of the Chatswood Mad Dogs and Englishmen franchise while Carlino ran the Hornsby business.

According to her social media profiles, Ms Kumar finished a degree at Western Sydney University in 2015 before launching her own HR business.

She is also a model, frequently posing for Sydney photographers and gracing the pages of magazines, including French fashion publication Malvie and Amsterdam-based Selin Magazine.

Earlier this month, she participated in a shoot for Australian creative group Hunter Creative, wearing a warrior-princess style costume and clutching a sword.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police.