Mahmoud ‘Alex’ El-Etri charged with armed robbery after business deal soured at Hurstville Westfield

A man who allegedly threatened a business partner with a pistol after a deal soured at Westfield Hurstville, has failed in his bid to return to his family home in Queensland. Find out why.

Editor's Note: All criminal charges against Mahmoud El-Etri were withdrawn and dismissed in Sydney's Downing Centre on March 30.

A father has failed in his bid to return to his family in Queensland after he allegedly threatened and stole $5500 from his business partner while they were working in Westfield Hurstville.

Mahmoud ‘Alex’ El-Etri, 49, appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday where he sought to change his residential bail conditions after being charged with robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon.

El-Etri was arrested and extradited from Queensland to NSW where he was bailed to live in Sydney last month.

A statement of police facts tendered to court said the alleged victim was El-Etri’s business partner, who owned Homestead Cleaning Australia and sold a floor cleaning device.

The documents said the man secured a contract to sell his product in display stands in Westfield shopping centres including Hurstville and Liverpool.

Mahmoud El-Etri charged with robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

In June, the man and El-Etri met in a pokies room in Redland Bay, where they both live, and became friends.

After a month, El-Etri allegedly went into business with the man and started to learn the daily operations.

On September 3, the man delivered stock worth $20,000 and allegedly stored it at El-Etri’s sister’s house in Bass Hill.

The man set up his business display in Westfield Hurstville before El-Etri allegedly joined him on September 8 to assist him with making sales, hopeful of earning $50,000 in a week.

That night, the men went to a restaurant in Parramatta before El-Etri allegedly went into the kitchen area and came back out with an UberEats bag before both men left the restaurant and returned to their Hurstville accommodation.

The bag allegedly contained a “brick” of cocaine and a Glock pistol, which made the man not want to continue in business with El-Etri, the documents said.

The next day while working, El-Etri allegedly became aggressive towards the man and accused him of lying and being a conman before demanding the day’s earnings.

El-Etri took hold of about $5500 in cash from the two days of sales, documents said.

The men allegedly sat down to talk with El-Etri becoming irate and allegedly refusing to return the earnings.

El-Etri allegedly opened a bumbag and showed a firearm before allegedly demanding $20,000 in seven days, the documents said.

El-Etri allegedly continued to threaten the man before allegedly leaving with the earnings.

Mahmoud El-Etri and his business partner allegedly argued while working at a display store in Westfield Hurstville.

The man allegedly received multiple threatening messages from El-Etri where he demanded money, the documents said.

The man reported the allegations to Hurstville police and showed officers a large volume of allegedly threatening messages.

The documents said CCTV from the centre allegedly depicted the arguments between the pair.

The man allegedly lost $5500 in cash and $20,000 worth of stock which was allegedly at El-Etri’s sister‘s house.

Meanwhile, the man returned to his home in Queensland and an arrest warrant was issued for El-Etri before he was charged.

In court on Tuesday, El-Etri’s lawyer Fadi Abbas sought to have his client’s bail conditions changed to allow him to return to his wife and children in the family home.

Mr Abbas noted El-Etri was not aware there was an ongoing police investigation into him when he returned to Queensland.

Mr Abbas said his client could report five days a week at a police station near his home and would travel to NSW whenever he was needed to attend court.

Mr Abbas also added the defence case would rely on CCTV of the restaurant where some allegations took place, claiming the footage did not support the alleged victim’s version.

Magistrate Melissa Humphreys noted the prosecution case against El-Etri appeared strong and he had a criminal record including where he had failed to appear in court.

She also noted El-Etri wanted to return to live in the same suburb as the alleged victim and refused to grant the bail condition change.

The case will return to court on November 3 and El-Etri is yet to enter a plea.