Kelly Farrugia charged with driving car at Shaykh Wesam Charkawi

One of Sydney’s most prominent Muslim leaders was allegedly almost mowed down by a female motorist accused of ‘overtly threatening’ behaviour towards Muslims, it can be revealed.

One of Australia’s most prominent Muslim community leaders was allegedly almost mowed down by a female motorist with a “fixation” with his Sydney public school workplace, a court has heard.

Police pounced on Kelly Farrugia on Sunday after a video of her allegedly engaging in a tirade of religiously motivated threats at Kmart Bankstown was shared widely on social media.

The Daily Telegraph can now reveal she is further accused of almost running down respected Sydney Muslim leader Shaykh Wesam Charkawi outside Granville Boys High School, where he works as a student support officer.

Shaykh Charkawi is the brains behind The Muslim Vote campaign, which is aiming to topple Labor in multiple southwest Sydney strongholds at the next federal election.

The campaign is targeting Muslim Australians to support pro-Palestine candidates, with Labor fearing key seats including Jason Clare’s Blaxland, Anne Stanley’s Werriwa and Tony Burke’s Watson potentially in play due to community outrage over the Israel-Palestine war.

Kelly Farrugia, 39.

Shaykh Wesam Charkawi.

Shaykh Charkawi, who is a Sunni Muslim and a PhD candidate at Western Sydney University, has been an outspoken advocate for Palestine since the conflict began in October last year.

Shocking details of the alleged incident emerged as Farrugia sought release at Parramatta Bail Court on December 23.

Kelly Farrugia, 39.

Police prosecutor Sgt Bassin said the incident, for which Farrugia was charged with intimidation and common assault, would have caused quite significant risk to the public.

“There were other students on the roundabout at the time,” Sgt Bassin said.

“What does indicate it was very close to the actual complainant, is that he felt the wind of the vehicle – the car must have come very close, and it’s fortunate there’s no collision.”

The court heard Farrugia had allegedly been “targeting” the school for four to five years.

Sheikh Wesam Charkawi speaking at the United Community Rally for Palestine and Lebanon being held at the Lakemba Mosque. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“There is a fixation with that school,” Sgt Bassin said.

“It puts the community, and particularly the members of the faith outlined, at risk.”

Farrugia’s Legal Aid solicitor Mr Khan described Farrugia as having an “annoyance, or disdain” with people of a certain faith.

Acting Magistrate Ray Plibersek disagreed.

“It’s more than an annoyance, it’s overtly threatening behaviour,” Mr Plibersek responded.

Farrugia told Mr Plibersek the Granville Boys High School principal was “using the school as his own Pentagon”.

The school’s principal Noel Dixon is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Kelly Farrugia, 39.

Farrugia was further charged with publicly threatening violence on religious grounds, offensive behaviour, using offensive language, and intimidation over the Kmart incident, in which she screamed “are you proud of wearing from the river to the sea? Get f–ked, Allah, every f–king day, f–k off”.

Mr Plibersek agreed to release Farrugia on strict conditional bail to reside with her father, abide by a curfew between 9pm and 5am, and not go within 500m of either Bankstown or Granville.

“It’s theirs, they can have it,” Farrugia responded.

She will return to court again in January.

Do you have a story for The Daily Telegraph? Message 0481 056 618 or email [e-mail]