Kenan Basic denies stalking Bankstown Sports Club staff

A man previously falsely accused of indecently assaulting a young female has been accused of stalking two different women working in one of NSW’s biggest sports clubs.

Bankstown man Kenan Basic, 40, was wrongfully arrested on charges of indecent assault in 2019 — later recanted — but is now facing separate allegations from two workers at one of the state’s biggest sporting clubs that he stalked and intimidated them, including a high-speed 4am car tailing.

Basic has been charged with three counts of stalking/intimidation, which he has pleaded not guilty to.

At Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday, one alleged victim gave evidence the 40-year-old made inappropriate comments to her at work over multiple nights, including; “why is a model like you was working here”. When the woman told him she was already with someone, he said “he would treat her like a princess”.

In an email tendered to the court as evidence, the alleged victim wrote to her supervisors “he constantly kept asking me for my number and what time I finished (work) so he could spend time with me and get to know me”.

But it was the escalation of Basic’s unwanted advances which had the alleged victim truly scared, telling the court the Bankstown man followed her in his car after she finished a graveyard shift at 4am.

Kenan Basic leaving Bankstown Local Court on July 26, 2022. Basic was charged after allegedly stalking two women from Bankstown Sports club in 2018. Picture: Paul Brescia

After making multiple turns without indicating to be sure she wasn’t being paranoid, the alleged victim said Basic continued to follow her, even matching her speed of 100km in a 60km/h zone to stay with her.

“Whilst I was in the middle of speeding trying to get away from this man, I realised it was him because a street light skimmed across his face as I was driving,” the alleged victim told the court. “I was looking in my rear view mirror at the time, I saw his face as clear as day.”

The second alleged victim claimed Basic also followed her as she left work on a separate occasion, asking her how her shift was and if she would like to go out with him.

“I replied, with no thanks I’m going home,” the alleged victim wrote in an email to her employer, submitted to the court as evidence.

She said she noticed him waiting on the side of the carpark, so she purposely took her time leaving, only to find him parked on the side of the road as she was leaving the club.

Basic appeared before Bankstown Local Court. Picture: Robert Pozo

“He tailgated me for a little while, so I pulled into a turning lane and at the last minute I changed lanes and took off leaving him behind and went home,” the alleged victim’s email stated.

But Basic’s lawyer, Ms Elbaba, told the court the victims were lying or exaggerating about identifying him in his car and said her client was not identified in any complaints until the following year, a mere week after he was charged with indecently assaulting a different woman who later recanted her story.

It was ‘contamination’ from media reports seen by the victim’s manager which led to Basic being identified by the victims, Ms Elbaba claimed, who then encouraged them to report the alleged crimes.

“My client was called a sexual predator,” Ms Elbaba said. “This was all over the media at the time.”

Both of the alleged victims have given evidence they did not see Basic’s arrest and subsequent media reports.

Basic has pleaded not guilty to three charges of stalk/intimidate.

Police allege the car tailing offence took place on March 25, 2018, and the other two offences on February 1, 2018, and March 3, 2018, according to the charge sheets filed in court.

Emails from the two alleged victims, sent to managers at Bankstown Sports Club, dated April 17 and 21, 2018, explain the alleged stalking offences in detail.

Shortly after those emails, Basic was banned from the club and a letter was sent to him from CEO Mark Condi which stated: “it is alleged that on two known occasions, you have followed two staff members from the club, into the direction of their place of residence”. That letter was also submitted as evidence.

One alleged victim which claimed to be followed at night told the court she identified Basic at the club the day after the incident, and security ejected him from the venue.

Police did not get statements from the alleged victims until early 2019, the court heard. It is the lack of Basic’s identification in the first police statement which Ms Elbaba focused on in court.

Ms Elbaba also asked the alleged victim in cross-examination why she was seen on CCTV footage being jovial with Basic as he was “complimenting” her in the club.

The alleged victim said in a customer service role she was expected to be friendly with customers, even when they’re in the wrong.

Basic’s case was adjourned for judgment.