Adam Abdallah applies for Supreme Court bail after alleged referee assault
A referee whose jaw was shattered in an alleged attack by an amateur boxer at a southwest Sydney football match has now been charged with assaulting a woman at a northern Sydney pub.
The Express
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A referee who was praised for his bravery and courage after being the target of an alleged bashing during a soccer match in Sydney has been charged with assaulting a woman while working as a bouncer in Hornsby.
Khodr Ahmad Yaghi, 45, was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and reckless grevious bodily harm after allegedly assaulting a woman just before midnight on March 3 at Railway Hotel in Hornsby.
The court heard the Berala man recently underwent surgery and therefore could not attend court.
The matter was listed for reply on May 31 at Hornsby Local Court as Yaghi remained on bail following the alleged offence.
The shock twist comes just months after Yaghi was allegedly the target of a brutal assault caught on camera.
He was allegedly punched several times by boxer Adam Abdallah during a soccer match in Padstow Park.
However, a Supreme Court bail hearing held on the same day for Abdallah showed new footage, which appeared to show Mr Yaghi throw the first punch.
Yaghi was left bleeding with a fractured jaw and three missing teeth as a result of the incident in May.
Referees across Sydney led a 30-second round of applause prior to kick-off at matches across NSW last month in a “pre-match symbol of solidarity” in honour of Yaghi.
The incident sparked new safety measures to keep officials safe.
More than $8000 was raised in under 24 hours to fund Yaghi’s surgery by members of the public.
Mr Yaghi’s wife Fay Yaghi told the Daily Telegraph her husband wouldn’t stop refereeing despite the incident.
“He was referee-of-the-year for two years … This won’t stop him,” Mrs Yaghi said.
The court heard Yaghi underwent the jaw operation in April.
Yaghi will face Hornsby Local Court on June 7.
New footage of alleged ref assault ‘changes narrative’: court
Extended video of the minutes before a referee was allegedly assaulted by an amateur boxer appears to reveal the match official threw the first punch, with a prosecutor saying the footage will “change the narrative”.
Adam Abdallah, 25, was charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and affray after he allegedly assaulted referee Khodr Yaghi after a match between the Greenacre Eagles and the Padstow Hornets at Padstow Oval on April 28.
He has now been granted bail in the NSW Supreme Court after new footage of the incident came to light – in which it appears Mr Yaghi threw the first punch.
Mr Yaghi was left with a shattered jaw and lost four teeth in the incident, which occurred when Abdallah allegedly jumped a fence and rushed onto the field after repeatedly taunting match officials from the sideline.
He had been in custody since May 1 after Magistrate Glenn Walsh refused his bail at Bankstown Local Court.
At court on May 31, Justice Mark Ierace granted Abdallah bail after the Crown told the court extended footage of the lead-up to the alleged assault “somewhat changes the narrative of the short clip in the media”.
Video shows another match official preventing Mr Yaghi from walking towards Abdallah as a verbal argument takes place.
The clip then appears to show Mr Yaghi throwing the first punch as Abdallah circles around behind him from the sideline, but Mr Yaghi is almost immediately knocked flat.
Multiple players then join the melee and attempt to separate the pair, before Yaghi is seen rolling onto his knees and clutching his face.
Several bystanders then hold Abdallah back as he screams and attempts to advance toward Mr Yaghi again, picking up a plastic chair and wielding it before several men calm him down.
Abdallah will be released to effective house arrest, unable to leave his home unless he is in the company of his wife — who is six months pregnant — or his mother, including when he reports on bail to police daily.
An acceptable person has also submitted a $25,000 cash security to the court to guarantee his appearance at future court dates.
Abdallah was represented in court by respected silk Ian Lloyd and defence counsel Talal Krayem.
The matter will return to court on June 28 for mention and brief service.
After the new footage came to light, the Crown prosecutor had told the court the Crown would no longer oppose bail, although police remained opposed to Abdallah being released on bail.
Meanwhile, Yaghi has been charged with assaulting a woman while working as a security guard at the Railway Hotel in Hornsby.
He remains before the courts for his own matter.
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