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Ahmed Hamdash sentenced for sexually touching girl on Sutherland train

A father-of-four has been denounced for his “abhorrent” conduct when he put his hand on a girl’s knee, after asking for her phone number, as he sat next to her on a train in Sydney’s south.

Padstow man Ahmed Hamdash put his hand on a 16yo girl's leg on a train from Woolooware to Sutherland. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis
Padstow man Ahmed Hamdash put his hand on a 16yo girl's leg on a train from Woolooware to Sutherland. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A married father has been lambasted for his “inappropriate and disgusting” actions when he touched a 16-year-old girl on a train at Sutherland.

Ahmed Hamdash, 38, pleaded guilty to sexual touching without consent, wilfully interfering with the comfort of another person and not having a ticket before he was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday.

Agreed facts tendered to court say Hamdash approached a 16-year-old girl on a Woolooware train station platform about 2.30pm on August 2 where he held out his hand for her to shake it and tried to talk to her.

They boarded a city-bound train and Hamdash followed the girl and sat next to her while she used her phone and didn’t speak to him.

She answered his questions with one-word responses before he asked if they could be friends.

Ahmed Hamdash (right) pictured with his lawyer after being sentenced. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis
Ahmed Hamdash (right) pictured with his lawyer after being sentenced. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

He also asked for her phone number and she gave a fake one.

During the conversation, Hamdash put his hand on the girl’s thigh, a short distance from her knee, for about six seconds while he was laughing and speaking to her.

The girl felt uncomfortable and she did not ask or instigate for him to touch her.

The girl told him she was 16 and he replied “you do seem young”.

He continued talking to her throughout the journey, telling her personal details about his profession, driver’s licence status and home suburb of Padstow.

Hamdash was sentenced in Sutherland court.
Hamdash was sentenced in Sutherland court.

They both got off at Sutherland and the girl reported the incident to Sutherland police station.

During the investigation, police obtained CCTV from Sutherland train station where he was seen looking at an unknown female before he followed her throughout the platform and concourse. He also did not have a valid ticket.

On August 4, police arrested Hamdash and in an interview he admitted to speaking to the girl but was evasive and claimed to have a poor memory of the incident two days prior.

He told officers he was a father to daughters aged 14 and 16 and he could not tell the girl’s age until she told him.

In court, Hamdash’s lawyer said his client’s actions were less serious because he touched the girl on her knee not the genital or breast area, and she was fully clothed at the time.

The lawyer submitted once the girl told him her age, the conversation was not sexual in any way.

The court heard a sentence assessment report noted Hamdash minimised his actions and said he was unaware the girl was uncomfortable at the time but later acknowledged she might have been.

Hamdash wrote an apology letter where he said he was remorseful and embarrassed.

The court heard Hamdash was in a poor mental state at the time and “needed to talk to someone”.

Magistrate Philip Stewart labelled Hamdash’s actions as “abhorrent” and said girls and women were entitled to get on trains and be in public without being spoken to by people such as Hamdash.

“It was totally inappropriate and disgusting for you to put your hand on her knee,” he said.

“You are a married man with children. Your conduct was disgraceful.”

Mr Stewart said there was no connection between Hamdash’s depression and anxiety and his “appalling conduct”.

Hamdash was convicted and sentenced to a three-year community correction order, fined $800, he must complete 300 hours of community service and continue psychological treatment.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/st-george-shire/ahmed-hamdash-sentenced-for-sexually-touching-girl-on-sutherland-train/news-story/ad10f3b6b824217885760f6f702fa0c0