The man accused of stabbing a Sydney nurse to death was the ‘best mate’ of her husband, who found her lying bleeding in their bedroom.
Erin Gilbert, 42, was allegedly stabbed to death in the rental unit she shared with her husband Nicholas Gilbert, 38, in Maryland’s west of Sydney just before 11.30pm on Easter Sunday.
Mr Gilbert was arrested by police shortly after his wife’s death and spent almost 24 hours in a police cell covered in his wife’s blood before being told he could be charged with her death.
But he was released without charge and insisted he had nothing to do with his wife’s death.
On Tuesday afternoon, after a lengthy police investigation, it was confirmed that Mr Gilbert’s friend Morten Jensen, 32, had been charged with murder.
Daily Mail Australia can also reveal that Mr Gilbert – who lived in the same unit where he was killed – is now ‘on the street with my clothes in a bag’ because he is unable to pay the rent.
Erin Gilbert, 42, was allegedly stabbed to death in her Maryland unit. She is pictured with her husband Nicholas
Morten Jensen (pictured) has been charged with Erin Gilbert’s murder
NSW Police will allege in court that Mr Jensen went to Ms Gilbert’s apartment ‘after a confrontation escalated’ and ‘attacked her with a bladed instrument’.
‘It is also alleged that the man fled the scene on foot before getting on a black and red mountain bike,’ a statement said.
Detectives believe Jensen ‘dropped what he was wearing’ as he fled the scene, wearing a large hooded jumper with a distinctive logo on the back.
Mr Jensen has been remanded in custody and will appear in Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday.
Mr. Gilbert told 9News on Monday that he had been in contact with Mr. Jensen the night of the alleged murder, but had not heard from him in the days that followed.
‘He was like a brother to me,’ Mr Gilbert said.
‘I thought it was amazing that he wasn’t coming to see me, he wanted to be my best mate, he just disappeared.’
Mrs Gilbert’s body was discovered face down in a pool of blood inside a unit block (forensic police image)
Two weeks after Ms. Gilbert’s death, Mr. Jensen was jailed for an unrelated matter.
He is being held at the Silverwater Correctional Facility near Sydney’s Olympic Park.
Daily Mail Australia previously revealed Mr Gilbert was still living in the unit he shared with his late wife, but was struggling to pay the rent due to a brain injury sustained in a car accident a few years ago.
In early July she revealed blood stains on the carpet of the home they once shared broke up.
He said at this time, ‘I will be on the road in the next few days.
‘But having (marks) on the carpet is hard enough being there – I tear up every time I see them.’
‘But then again, it’s the only place I feel close to Erin.’
Nicholas Gilbert allegedly saw his wife Erin Gilbert (pictured together) choking on her own blood.
The couple married in 2020 and, on their first wedding anniversary, he made her a box filled with photos and love letters.
One letter read: ‘I don’t want you in my life, I want you in my life. You are not my friend, you are my best friend. I don’t like you, I love you and I’m glad I found you because without you I was totally lost.’
Another read: ‘Because of you all my other dreams have changed, now all I want will come true [because] You are by my side.’
Mr Gilbert said he was disappointed to find the letters again.
‘It gave me tears of joy and I still laugh thinking about it,’ she said.