Ibrahim’s women: Being close to Kings Cross identity can be risky business

THERE are times when one might think that if you were a ­female associated with the Ibrahim family, having a firearm at hand would be sensible.

John Ibrahim and Sarah Budge share a relaxed moment on a boat during a holiday in Ibiza. Picture: Splash Bail granted to Ibrahim's son, girlfriend

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IT was a warning penned in the prologue of his eerily timed book Last King Of The X.

John Ibrahim, a self-proclaimed tough guy who dragged himself up by his bootstraps and into the notoriously dangerous Kings Cross nightclub scene, cautions would-be copycats: “You might just end up dead. Or worse.”

In the end it was a message Ibrahim wasn’t able to convey to the people closest to him — his family or his girlfriend.

Sarah Budge leaves Sydney Police Centre in Surry Hills after being bailed on charges of gun possession. Picture: Richard Dobson

This week, the infamous club owner escaped arrest as his brothers Fadi and Michael and son Daniel were snared in a series of well-orchestrated raids by the AFP.

Then there was the highly publicised arrest of his girlfriend Sarah Budge for the possession of a loaded “baby Glock”, allegedly found in the bedroom cupboard of her Double Bay apartment.

There are times when one might think that if you were a ­female associated with Ibrahims having a firearm near at hand would be a sensible precaution.

John Ibrahim and Sarah Budge enjoy a day by the sea in Ibiza. Picture: Splash

Fadi Ibrahim and Shayda Bastani survived a shooting in a car seven years ago.

John’s sister-in-law Shayda Bastani, for example, was shot in the leg during a botched hit on her husband Fadi in 2010.

Then there are the attacks on John’s mother’s Merrylands house, which has been peppered with bullets on several occasions, though she has remained unharmed.

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His sister, who goes by the name Jazz Dior, was slapped with an ­intensive corrections order in June after pleading guilty to gun supply, and his business partner Margaret Staltaro was also caught up in this week’s raids. Ms Staltaro was not arrested or charged.

Budge shares a laugh with Daniel Ibrahim, son of boyfriend John Ibrahim. Picture: Instagram

Legal insiders say Budge, a willowy 27-year-old bar owner and model with stunning blue eyes, could plead the “Filippetti defence”: That is, simply, that it cannot be proved the gun is hers.

A high-powered weapon despite its name, the baby Glock is considered the most sought-after concealed gun in the world because it fits comfortably in the palm and suits both left and right-handed shooters.

It is also a pistol that has been extensively marketed towards women. If Budge’s defence is unsuccessful she could face up to five years in jail — a daunting prospect for a woman whose Instagram tag­line is “Life, it’s all about timing.”

No doubtpotentially facing a prison cell is not where Budge ­imagined she would be when she was seduced by the charm and ­notoriety of Ibrahim in 2014.

Budge’s brunette looks were a departure from Ibrahim’s previous flames. Picture: Instagram

Budge “had half a brain, which John was into”, a friend said. Picture: Instagram

Introduced by mutual friends appropriately enough at a bar in Kings Cross, the pair were a relatively odd match given Ibrahim’s previous romantic track record.

For a start, Budge was 24 and a brunette, a stark contrast to the women Ibrahim had been linked to in the past, almost all of whom have been blonde and in their teens. His previous girlfriend Chelsea Mitchell was 17 years younger and still in her final year of high school when she began dating Ibrahim, who was 35 at the time. Elyse Taylor, the Victoria’s Secret model who preceded Mitchell, was just 18 when the pair dated. Ibrahim was 32.

Ibrahim watches a fashion show with former fiancee Chelsea Mitchell.

But by the time Ibrahim crossed paths with Budge he was, according to one of his close friends, ready to do away with young, thin, blonde model types. “He fell for her pretty fast because she was gorgeous but also she was her own person and had half a brain which John was into,” a long-time friend said.

Budge, too, was smitten. A Sydney socialite who ran the late-night hangout Crane Bar, Budge’s new relationship opened up a new smorgasbord of parties, money, people and travel previously unattainable for a girl from Gladesville.

Ibrahim arrives with Mitchell at St Mary's Cathedral for a christening.

They became inseparable and made their debut in the public eye during a debaucherous holiday in Ibiza with Kyle Sandilands and his girlfriend Imogen Anthony.

Publication of photographs showing Budge looking “tired and emotional” on the holiday allegedly upset the model so much she has never spoken to members of the media since.

It’s not known how she feels about images taken last week, looking drawn and anxious, leaving Surry Hills police station under the arm of her tradie brother, Jack, after posting $50,000 bail. But if life is all about timing, it seems the pair may have gotten it all wrong.