Ghassan Amoun: Bassam Hamzy’s brother jailed for breaching order

Bassam Hamzy’s younger brother has been jailed after cops found a prohibited laptop and three phones in his car – one of which he had been using to conduct an affair, a court heard.

Bassam Hamzy’s younger brother has been jailed for breaching a rare crime prevention order, twice.

The orders were placed on four men, including Ghassan Amoun, in December last year, in an attempt to stop the escalating conflicts between the Hamzy and Alameddine families.

Burwood Local Court heard Amoun had “moved away” somewhat from the life his brother, the founder of Brothers 4 Life, had made in Sydney.

His acting solicitor Ertunc Ozen said Amoun, 35, had been planning on moving his family to Queensland when he was charged with the two breaches, the court heard.

He wanted to “put some distance between himself and the problems coming about because of his brother”, Mr Ozen told the court.

Ghassan Amoun arrested by police. Picture: NSW Police

He even purchased Queensland plates for his Audi A4, the court heard, Mr Ozen said.

However, in his failure to disclose the full details of the new plates to police, he was breaching the serious crime prevention order.

Mr Ozen called the breach “inadvertent” saying Amoun had assumed he told his solicitor about the plates.

He was charged on February 24 after police discovered he had breached the order for a second time.

Three mobile phones and an undeclared laptop were found in his car, also contrary to the order which limited the number of devices he could use.

Ghassan Amoun. Picture: Supplied

Mr Ozen told the court one phone had no SIM card in it, one belonged to a friends, and one was used to conduct an affair with a woman, while the laptop belonged to his wife.

Mr Ozen told the court the vehicle was not used in connection with any criminal activity and no evidence of criminal activity was discovered after further analysis of the mobile phones and laptop.

He added Amoun had not come to the notice of police since 2008 when he was charged over a large drug supply, for which he spent a number of years in prison.

This was despite intense surveillance on his family over the past three years, he told the court.

The court also heard he had allegedly breached the crime prevention order again in September after police discovered he had Snapchat and WhatsApp installed on his phone, contrary to the orders which did not allow him to use encrypted devices.

He was not sentenced in relation to that matter on Thursday.

Bassam Hamzy.

Amoun initially pleaded not guilty to the breaches but later pleaded guilty.

Magistrate Daniel Reiss sentenced Amoun to 12 months in prison, with a six month non-parole period.

He will be eligible for release in March 2022.

His lawyers immediately appealed the decision and applied for bail.

The prosecution opposed bail stating there was an unacceptable risk he would commit a further offence and bail was denied.

He will next face the Sydney District Court for his appeal.