Khayam Ali sentenced for assaulting ex-Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou at Merrylands

A ‘hard working’ man who attacked a politician outside a polling booth on council election day has been told to keep his ‘emotions in check’.

A man who attacked former Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou outside a polling booth at Merrylands on council election day has avoided a conviction but was told to keep his “emotions in check” after losing his cool on December 4.

Khayam Ali, 29, attended Fairfield Court on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to the assault on Cr Christou.

The incident took place when Ali became infuriated by claims from a younger relative the mayor had threatened to snatch him away at the Merrylands Public School polling station on Fowler Rd.

Fresh police documents tendered to the court reveal the boy, who was a Labor volunteer, told police Christou, who is an Our Local Community councillor, had been bullying him for three days when they were campaigning at the Holroyd Centre polling booth at Merrylands and on election day.

Cr Christou declined a voluntary police interview but denied any wrongdoing and he was not charged.

Khayam Ali leaves Fairfield Court where he was sentenced for assaulting former Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou at a Merrylands polling booth in December.

“I never said anything threatening to that boy,’’ he told detectives.

“He was being rude and saying things to me. I have a number of people that were there with me that can vouch for my behaviour.’’

Independent councillor Joseph Rahme was at the polling booth on election day but only saw the boy and Cr Christou “engaging in behaviour he described as political banter”.

“Mr Rahme has stated that he did not hear Christou say anything that he would have deemed to be threatening or intimidating,’’ the court papers state.

Cr Rahme said the boy was making remarks about “the Labour (sic) Political Party, indicating that if a Labour candidate held the position of Mayor, the Labour candidate would do a much better job than his independent Political Party’’.

Rahme said at “no stage did Christou say anything regarding snatching/kidnapping or anything of that nature”.

Labor councillor Ola Hamad was also a witness and saw the boy and Cr Christou interacting during pre-polling and on election day.

“Each instance she observed involved anti-social behaviour from the POI (person of interest, Christou) including standing face-to-face with the victim and putting a raised finger in his face and numerous interactions where the POI would walk past the victim, saying something and keep walking.

“At no point did she actually hear words said between the two.’’

On election day, she said the child approached her twice to tell him Cr Christou told him: “I’ll snatch you’’ and the other to say “I’ll sort you out’’.

Khayam Ali (white T-shirt) was charged and pleaded guilty to assaulting Steve Christou (orange T-shirt).

Papers further reveal on election day the child smirked at the ex-mayor and former Labor councillor after he noticed he was staring at him.

The Granville ward representative approached the boy and yelled at him: “Stop taking photos of me. Stop taking video recordings of me. Stop looking at me. Stop looking at me.You’re nobody”.

The boy denied taking photos.

Cr Christou then later walked up to the boy and shouted at him “what’s so funny?” before walking away and returning saying: “Come here mate, I’ll sort you out.’’

“This has made the young person feel uncomfortable and scared for his safety,’’ police said.

“Ten minutes later the young person was walking to the bathroom. The young person walked past the person of interest and the POI said “you’re going to get snatched”.

The boy gave a statement to Cumberland detectives a day after the elections.

However, after a two-month investigation, it was deemed there was insufficient evidence to charge Cr Christou “as there were no other witnesses to the incident and the case is closed”.

Ahead of the assault, the boy broke down in tears and called a relative.

Ali, a furious relative, could not contain his anger and drove to the school and stormed up to Cr Christou. When Ali confronted the politician “he felt Christou did not take it seriously and therefore assaulted him”.

As the Bonnyrigg Heights man tried to swipe at Cr Christou, he said: “I didn’t make anyone cry.’’

Bystanders captured the assault.

Khayam Ali did not have a criminal record.

Ali said: “Making a f***** 12-year-old cry. Is that what you stand for you f***** weak c*** huh?” before calling him a “scumdog” and “dog”.

In a letter of apology to the court, Ali, a Merrylands pizza shop owner, said he became upset after his relative complained about being bullied and harassed.

“There is no befitting explanation for my actions but I hope that the court can be satisfied that these actions were completely out of character for me,’’ he said.

“Unfortunately, I took it upon myself to deal with a situation that I should have approached differently. I am extremely regretful for my lapse of judgment and understand the impact this may have had on bystanders and the victim.’’

Other letters from community leaders and organisations, including the Granville Kewpies Soccer Club and the Nabi Akram Islamic Mosque at Granville, with whom Ali sponsors and volunteers, praised his hard work ethic and kind nature.

Ali, who migrated to Australia from Afghanistan with his family when he was eight, said he was bullied at school for being a “Hazara”.

Magistrate Anthony Spence acknowledged Ali had no criminal history.

“You’re not normally disposed to this sort of thing,’’ he said.

“You’re from Afghanistan but you’ve been here for a while. Don’t put your hands on anybody. There’s no excuse for violence, I don’t care if it’s a council election, so keep your emotions in check for the future.’’

He sentenced Ali to a six-month conditional release order and did not convict him.

Outside court, Ali did not comment on his result but his solicitor Jessica Spartalis welcomed the verdict.

“It’s a good result. He’s deserving of it,’’ she said.

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