Former Brothers 4 Life gang leader Farhad Qaumi stabs fellow inmate in the face

The former leader of the Brothers 4 Life gang has learnt his fate after he stabbed a fellow inmate and former gang leader in the face.

The former leader of the infamous western Sydney Brothers 4 Life gang has learnt his punishment for stabbing a fellow inmate in the face several times during a “sporadic” prison attack.

Farhad Qaumi, 39, appeared in Goulburn District Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The court was told the former Brothers 4 Life leader stabbed fellow inmate and former gang leader Abuzar Sultani numerous times while both were imprisoned at Goulburn’s Supermax jail.

Former Brothers 4 Life leader Farhad Qaumi has been jailed for stabbing an inmate. Picture: Supplied

The court was told that on May 20, 2020, the offender was taken to the TV room to speak with Sultani, who had an adjoining cell.

As Sultani moved towards the door to have his handcuffs removed, Qaumi stood behind him and pulled a shiv from his pants pocket.

In the CCTV footage shown in court, Qaumi stabs Sultani with strong jabs while he shields his face with his arms. The footage shows Sultani moving to the corners of the room to try to escape his heavily bearded assailant, who stalks after him and continues to “sporadically” stab him.

The court was told the victim was left with cuts and tears on his face and forehead as well as a 10cm laceration on his neck. There was blood inside the room and on the floor outside.

Judge Mark Williams noted Qaumi was serving a 58-year prison sentence in the maximum-security jail for conspiracy and manslaughter in relation to several deaths while he was the head of the Brothers 4 Life criminal organisation.

A younger photo of Farhad Qaumi.

The prisoner’s criminal record, which ran to more than 29 pages, was deemed “very lengthy”.

The court was told the victim was also involved in “gangland violence” prior to his incarceration, with Qaumi’s lawyer David Price suggesting his client had not attacked “an innocent victim”.

“This type of offending doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” he said.

Judge Williams said there was no evidence about the motivation behind the premeditated shiv attack or any suggestion of provocation on behalf of the victim.

The court was told Qaumi was born in Afghanistan and had a difficult childhood, which involved his primary school being bombed and a close friend dying while he was at school in western Sydney after his family migrated.

The court victim, Abuzar Sultani, is serving a triple life sentence.

Mr Price argued no further custodial sentence should be imposed on Qaumi, who will be 92 years old when his sentence expires. He said his client would be unlikely to be granted parole when he was 75 years old, due to the conviction for this offence, and a longer jail term would have a “crushing effect”.

However, Judge Williams determined a sentence should be given to deter Qaumi from committing further offences and to protect other inmates.

He sentenced the former gang leader to 19 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of a year. Qaumi will be eligible for parole on October 7, 2056 – just days from his 76th birthday.

Originally published as Former Brothers 4 Life gang leader Farhad Qaumi stabs fellow inmate in the face