Police outside an apartment building in Parramatta
Police say a woman found critically injured outside the apartment tower died at the scene. Image by Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS
  • crime, law and justice

Man released without charge after woman falls to death

Jack Gramenz January 2, 2025

A man has been released without charge after a woman fell to her death off his balcony.

The 40-year-old man was arrested on Thursday morning after the woman was found dead at the bottom of his apartment block, forcing investigators to examine the scene, their relationship and multiple triple-zero calls.

He spent several hours being interviewed by police on Thursday but was released about 2pm pending further investigations, police have confirmed.

Raised voices could be heard in the background during the first triple-zero call about 11.45pm on Wednesday, but nothing was said to the dispatcher, police said.

They called back and spoke to the man who answered, telling him police would attend after he provided his name and address.

Another call was made to triple zero almost two hours later at 1.40am on Thursday when someone in the street saw a woman dangling from a balcony on the seventh floor of the unit block.

Police were by then on their way and arrived about a minute later to find the woman with critical injuries outside the unit block on River Rd at Parramatta in Sydney’s west, Detective Superintendent Barry Vincent told reporters on Thursday.

“Whether she was trying to hold on … that will form part of our lines of inquiry,” Det Supt Vincent said.

“Obviously how she came to be there is a key factor.”

Police outside an apartment building in Parrammatta
 Police have been told the woman fell from a seventh-floor balcony. Image by Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS 

The woman, believed to be aged 39, was pronounced dead at the scene after unsuccessful attempts to revive her.

She is yet to be formally identified.

Uniformed officers were seen canvassing residents as they left and arrived at the apartment tower on Thursday morning.

Forensic investigators were later seen leaving the building as the unit was examined.

The man lives at the address, however the woman is believed to have a different residence.

Police outside an apartment building in Parrammatta
 Uniformed police have been speaking with residents. Image by Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS 

The pair were believed to have previously been in a domestic relationship, but it was not yet clear if they were still in a relationship at the time, Det Supt Vincent said.

The phone initially used to call emergency services was not registered in the name of the man who answered it but it was believed he used it, with police investigating whether or not he initiated the first call which did not involve a direct interaction.

An apprehended violence order had been in place for the man’s protection, Det Supt Vincent said.

The woman has not been formally identified and police are not yet able to confirm whether she was named in the order, or if any orders were in place protecting her.

Anyone with information about the incident is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers.