Ali Evci: Sentenced over knife threats made at Marrickville’s Royal Exchange Hotel

A man responsible for a terrifying late night episode, threatening five strangers and a security guard outside a Sydney pub, has been sentenced.

Ali Evci was sentenced at Newtown Local Court​

A Parklea prison rioter with a lengthy criminal history has landed back behind bars after he threatened five unknown men and a security guard with a large knife while he was out on parole.

Newington man Ali Evci, 26, appeared via videolink at Newtown Local Court where he learned his fate after pleading guilty to being armed with a knife and intimidating a security guard in the early hours of December 23 at Marrickville.

The court heard these were the latest offences in the man’s lengthy criminal history, which includes being convicted of drug supply, dealing with the proceeds of crime and possessing a knife after his home was raided by police in 2020 following a stabbing at Brighton Le Sands.

Evci was found not guilty of the more serious charge of grievous bodily harm with intent to murder following a District Court trial, but received a prison sentence when he participated in a riot at Parklea Correctional Centre, the court heard.

And, not long after being released on parole the 26-year-old once again landed himself in trouble.

A CCTV image of Ali Evci.

According to documents tendered to court Evci was spending a night out at Marrickville’s Royal Exchange Hotel when, just before 3am, he passed a group of five men near the hotel’s main bar.

“(Evci) turned around and yelled out to the group of males with words to the effect of ‘What was that’ and ‘What did you say?’ to which a member of the group replied ‘what?’,” court documents state.

“(He then) yelled out with words of the effect: ‘meet me outside, meet me around the corner’.”

The court heard Evci ran towards the five men as they were leaving the hotel, before producing a large knife and making “striking movements” towards the group — although he did not stab any of them.

When a security guard saw the scene and approached Evci, the 26-year-old turned around and approached him to say “You’re f**ked too”.

Evci’s lawyer told the court his client had already spent an extensive period in jail, including for a charge he was eventually found not guilty of, and said the young man had family support and stable employment outside of prison.

“Ultimately this is a matter where the community … would be better served if he were to receive the assistance he needs,” he said, referring to anger management treatment Evci could receive if not in jail.

But Magistrate Lisa Stapleton said Evci had “a long criminal history of violence”, adding he had already received chances but still committed a serious offence while on parole.

“Most mature aged adults … would just laugh and walk off,” she said, referring to his Marrickville outburst.

Ms Stapleton convicted Evci and sentenced him to 20 months behind bars, with a non-parole period of 15 months.