Azam Alameddine avoids remand while awaiting sentencing for historic attempted rape and abduction
A member of the notorious Alameddine family has avoided being thrown in jail on remand while he awaits his sentence for abducting and attempting to rape a woman nearly three decades ago.
Parramatta
Don't miss out on the headlines from Parramatta . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A member of the infamous Alameddine family has admitted to historic sexual and abduction offences against a woman.
Azam Alameddine, 49, avoided being sent to jail on remand at Downing Centre District Court today as the prosecution failed in its detention application.
That followed Alameddine pleading guilty to attempting sexual intercourse without consent and forcible abduction of a woman with intent to carnally know, dated back to 1995.
The court heard Alameddine and his victim were both 21-years-old at the time.
Alameddine’s defence lawyer said the case had an unusual circumstance in that his client drove the woman to the police station immediately after the attempted rape.
“I don’t say he’d attract leniency for prior good character but there is no other sexual offending proceeding the 1995 matter or afterwards,” his lawyer said.
The crown prosecutor argued Alameddine should be detained until his sentencing for the crimes next year because it was inevitable he would be jailed then.
She also told the court Alameddine posed a flight risk if he remained on bail.
But Alameddine’s lawyer disputed his client’s incarceration was inevitable and told the court his current bail conditions were strict enough.
Under those bail conditions, Alameddine has had to surrender his passport, report daily to police, abide by a 9pm curfew and forfeit $800,000 if he fails to comply with any of the orders.
Judge Tim Gartelmann refused the crown’s detention application, saying Alameddine was not guaranteed to go to jail.
He said there also may be a psychological risk to children in his care if he is sent straight to prison without any arrangements made to care for them.
Alameddine will be sentenced for the crimes on April 6 at Downing Centre District Court.
During sentencing, another charge of assault with act of indecency will be taken into account.
The Villawood man was also charged with detaining for advantage without causing injury to victim, aggravated sexual assault to inflict actual bodily harm and sexual intercourse without consent, but all three were dismissed.
Camper charged after ‘stabbing attack’ in cemetery
A man who was camping at a cemetery in Sydney’s west has been charged over allegedly stabbing a 30-year-old man as he walked through the area with two friends.
Sibling revival: Restoration on the ‘Three Sisters’ begins
Almost 150 vacant public housing units in northwest Sydney will be refurbished after a $2bn project to demolish the buildings and replace them with almost 5000 dwellings was dumped.