Revesby shootings: Murders’ link to ’90s teen stabbing

Saturday night’s double murder has a link to one of the most notorious eras of Sydney street crime going back more than two decades — the reign of the Telopea Street gang.

Saturday night’s double murder has a link to one of the most notorious eras of Sydney street crime going back more than two decades — the reign of the Telopea Street gang.

Lametta Fadlallah, shot dead beside her friend on a night out, was once married to Shadi Derbas, a member of the Telopea Street crew.

The fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old schoolboy in Telopea Street, Punchbowl in 1998 gave Sydney a glimpse of what was to come — violent street gangs ruining the peace of southwest Sydney and giving rise to some of the most deadly criminals the city has seen.

Edward Lee, an innocent teenager, made the mistake of walking into the wrong address of what he thought was a friend’s party one night in 1998. It was actually the hangout of a gang of young thugs led by Shadi Derbas.

One of the gang, Mustapha Dib pulled a knife and stabbed Edward Lee, killing him. Dib would later be jailed for manslaughter.

Murder victim Edward Lee was a 14-year-old student when he was stabbed to death while walking to a friend's birthday party in Punchbowl. Picture: Supplied

Mustapha Dib was jailed for manslaughter. Picture: News Corp

The investigation into the schoolboy’s death would throw up names that would be synonymous with Middle Eastern crime and murders for years to come.

Telopea St had established itself as a “drive through’’ supermarket for guns and drugs where customers would cruise through to get whatever they wanted while the gang kept guard on either end of the street to watch for police.

Serial killer gangster Michael Kannan.

After the killing of Edward, the cops raided the street, angering the young hoodlums.

In a brazen revenge attack some members of the gang sprayed more than a dozen bullets into Lakemba Police Station, sending officers inside ducking for cover.

“To shoot up a police station is the ultimate act of disregard for law,’’ one officer said at the time.

Police and ambulance officers at scene where Danny Georges Karam was shot dead while sitting in his car in Fitzroy Street, Surry Hills in 1998.

“These guys were not ruthless, they were crazy, reckless and sociopaths,’’ one retired officer said.

One of the worst of the bunch was a young man called Michael Kannan, a serial killer gangster who shot dead two men, Adam Wright and Michael Hurle, outside the Five Dock Hotel 1998.

Danny Georges Karam lifting weights while a prisoner at Long Bay Jail in 1985.

He was also the ringleader of “DK’s boys” behind the execution of his drug dealing boss Danny Karam in Surry Hills the same year.

He was also involved in a shootout with police.

In 2000 Shadi Derbas and the reign of the Telopea Street gang was over after he was convicted of hindering murder investigations relating to the deaths of the two men at Five Dock.

“Derbas was well organised and smart,’’ said an underworld source.

“Those guys ruled the area in the late 90s before Kannan went crazy shooting up everyone,” one underworld source said.

Originally published as Revesby shootings: Murders’ link to ’90s teen stabbing