GoFundMe for Khodr Yaghi raises $8000 following attack at Padstow Oval
A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $8000 in just 24 hours for a veteran referee who police allege was brutally bashed and left with a broken jaw at a weekend soccer match.
The Express
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In just 24 hours, more than $8000 has been raised for a veteran referee who was left with a broken jaw and shattered teeth following an alleged assault at a sporting match in Sydney’s southwest.
A GoFundMe campaign for Khodr Yaghi has raised $8,690 out of the $10,000 goal for Khodr Yaghi who is recovering from surgery in hospital following the incident on the weekend.
Andrew Best created the campaign to support his fellow “brother” and referee’s family.
“Last week, the football and referee community was rocked by the horrific and violent assault of one of our own,” he said.
“The referee community would like to support Khodr during this time. Unable to work and, unable to referee, his income and passion have been removed.”
Mr Best encouraged the community to consider donating their match fees from last weekend in support of Mr Yaghi.
“None of us do this for the money, but when even that’s taken away, it hurts a little more,” he said.
Mr Yaghi was left bleeding with a fractured jaw and three missing teeth following a men’s premier league game on Sunday and has undergone surgery on Monday to repair the damage.
Video of the incident showed Yaghi, 45, being confronted by a man at the end of Greenacre Eagles’ 5-1 loss to Padstow Hornets.
Yaghi was allegedly pushed to the ground and punched multiple times to the face.
“He broke my jaw, he broke my jaw,” Mr Yaghi was heard saying in the chilling audio.
Mr Yaghi’s wife Fay Yaghi told The 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.
Adam Abdallah, 25, an amateur boxer, was charged with affray and wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and was denied bail on Monday at Bankstown Court.
The prosecution showed footage of the incident but Abdallah’s solicitor Talal Krayem said the “footage captured part”, not the “totality” of the incident.
Mr Krayem said the alleged victim allegedly used a sideline flag made of stainless steel to strike Abdallah’s face with “significant” blows.
Magistrate Glenn Walsh denied Abdullah bail as he posed an “unacceptable risk of committing a further offence.”
“My view is that was a concerted effort to beat a man savagely,” Mr Walsh said.
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