Azam Alameddine: Villawood man to sentenced for historic sexual assault of woman at Bankstown

A member of the Alameddine family has admitted to a horror sexual assault in the mid 1990s – in which he picked up a drunk stranger and tried to force sex acts – before taking her to a nearby police station.

Azam Alameddine leaves Downing Centre Court

A court has heard graphic details of a historic attempted rape that saw a member of the infamous Alameddine family force an intoxicated young woman – who he picked up on the side of the road – to put his penis in her mouth.

Azam Alameddine, of Villawood, was represented by his barrister Simon Buchen SC at Downing Centre District Court on Thursday as the Crown submitted the now-50-year-old “chose to remain silent” about his crime for more than 28 years.

Alameddine had pleaded guilty to sexual intercourse without consent, forcible abduction with intent to carnally know them and indecent assault in the Local Court.

According to agreed facts tendered to the court about 11pm June 19 in 1995, Alameddine found the woman who had lost and regained consciousness after collapsing on the side of the road in Bankstown.

Alameddine was 21 at the time and the woman was 22.

The sentence hearing took place at Downing Centre District Court. Picture: Nikki Short

Agreed facts state the woman was lying on the road as two cars drove past; the second of which stopped and its driver, Alameddine, put her in his car, saying “Oh my god, oh my god, there is a girl here unconscious” repeatedly.

The 22-year-old woman was conscious but could not speak and had her eyes closed.

When the woman opened her eyes she was no longer in the car and was lying on her back on the grass.

The 21-year-old Alameddine pulled down the women’s jeans without taking them off fully and then tried to pull down her underpants.

At some point, the woman, crying, told him “stop”, the facts state.

Alameddine then “tried to put his erect penis in her mouth” while the woman responded by keeping her lips held tight and “moved her head from side to side so that he could not put his penis into her mouth”.

The proceedings were before Judge Nicole Noman. Picture: Short

He then took her to Bankstown police station where he told police he found her “intoxicated” in the middle of the road, where he picked her up and took her in his car to the station.

When the woman woke at the police station in Alameddine’s car she became hysterical and said he had behaved inappropriately with her in a sexual way. She told police “don’t let him go, don’t let him go”.

The facts state Alameddine said “all I did was bring her here”.

She said she had consumed a large amount of alcohol and felt sore, and later participated in a sexual assault investigation kit and made a statement at the police station.

The facts state the matter was brought to the court after DNA from the woman’s clothing was linked to Alameddine as part of the cold case justice project, 2021, and he was arrested and charged on October 26, 2021.

Crown prosecutor John Sfinas submitted Alameddine went to the police under the guise of a “good Samaritan” but chose to “remain silent” about his actions until he was arrested.

Mr Buchen argued a custodial sentence would have significant psychological impact on his 11-year-old daughter and 10-year-old nephew with mental issues who lived with him.

Mr Buchen said his client expressed to the court in a letter the “guilt and shame” he felt, and said he would “never offend in this way again”.

Judge Nicole Noman said there was “a real chance there could be a full-time custodial penalty”.

The judge said she accepted it was an “unusual case” because Alameddine took the woman to a “place of safety” after his offending and would consider the impact of full time jail on the children.

During a bail hearing for Alameddine following his arrest in 2021, the court heard he was a member of the Alameddine family which had a number of members convicted of serious crimes.

The matter will return to court for sentencing on August 8.