Sydney man who threatened shop owner with sauce bottle fronts court

An outburst over wearing a mask saw a man charged with assault and intimidation after he threatened a shop owner with a sauce bottle. Here’s what happened in court.

A January outburst over wearing a mask has seen a man charged with assault and intimidation after he threatened a shop owner with a sauce bottle.

Nabil Sabouni, 44, was emotional when he pleaded guilty in Dubbo Local Court to the charges on Wednesday.

Police documents tendered to Dubbo Local Court state Sabouni was in Dubbo, his place of birth, when he entered the store to purchase a drink for himself and his children, disregarding the front door sign, reading “No mask, No entry”.

After the victim noticed he wasn’t wearing a mask, she requested that he put one on, to which he replied saying he didn’t have a mask, and had an exemption not to wear one.

The victim was persistent in requesting for Sabouni to put a mask on, and after he continued to refuse, she asked him to leave the business.

Nabil Sabouni at Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday.

The pair continued to argue as Sabouni remained on the premises, prompting the victim to pull out her phone to record the incident. When seeing the phone, Sabouni became aggressive, and said, “don’t record me, do you want me to break it?”.

The victim continued to record, as Sabouni walked to the counter and tried to snatch the phone.

Police facts state he then picked up a sauce bottle sitting on the counter and in a “menacing fashion, raised the bottle up above his head, brandishing it as if he was going to throw it”.

Sabouni then placed the bottle back down, and “proceeded to march behind the counter” to where the victim was, and again attempted to grab the phone.

“The accused marched into the victim, causing her to raise her forearm to prevent him from getting closer to her,” the documents reveal.

“As the accused reached out, he knocked the victim backwards and (held) her hand for a short time. The victim stepped back and demanded the accused leave, the accused turned and left the store.”

The court heard from Sabouni’s solicitor that “he did have his medical exemption on him” but the victim “should feel safe at the place of work”.

The solicitor also said that Sabouni, a father of six, who now resides in Sydney, has been unable to work. As a result of a “disease on his back”, he is on disability support.

Magistrate Greg Grogin was frank in his assessment of Sabouni’s actions.

“A person should be able to go to work and feel protected and safe in her workplace – not only because she is at work but she should feel safe because of the public health orders,” Mr Grogin said.

“She asked you a simple question, she asked you to leave, and if you had just done that, you wouldn’t be here (today).

“She was threatened by you, she was fearful for her safety and she started to record you.

“It’s just not good enough, the community needs to be safe and aware that if someone tries to take on a person who can’t defend themselves, they will be (punished).”

Sabouni was convicted without a bond or order and fined $550 for the incident.