Mum of alleged Alameddine crime clan member vows to fight fake Covid vaccination certificate charges

Eminent Sydney silk Winston Terracini said the allegations levelled against Jeanette Jeske were “outrageous” and took aim at an apparent about-face by police in court on Wednesday.

The barrister representing an alleged Alameddine crime clan mum accused of giving a fake COVID-19 vaccine certificate to the primary school where she worked has delivered a stinging assessment of the gangs squad police who arrested her, labelling them “hooligans” and calling the allegations levelled against her “outrageous”.

Jeanette Catherine Jeske was released on conditional bail in Fairfield Local Court on Wednesday, 24 hours after police raided her Merrylands home, seizing cash, documents and electronic items for further examination.

Jeske is the mother of Trent Jeske, an alleged Alameddine clan member accused of working for the family’s drug running operation “R4W” (Ready for War).

Police will allege the mum-of-three, who is an administrative manager at Plumpton Primary School, obtained a fake Australian Immunisation Register certificate through her alleged connections to the Alameddine network, which she gave to the school in October last year.

She was taken to Granville Police Station and charged with dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception, dealing with proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.

Jeanette Jeske mother of alleged Alameddine clan associate Trent Jeske leaves Fairfield Police Station on Wednesday evening. She is pictured with one of her sons (right). Picture: David Swift

Jeske was remanded in custody overnight and fronted court on Wednesday afternoon in handcuffs and wearing a large black Nike puffer jacket.

She entered a not guilty plea to all three charges.

Criminal Groups Squad detectives have charged an employee of a primary school in Sydney’s west after she allegedly provided a fraudulent COVID-19 vaccine certificate to her workplace. Picture: NSW Police

Police did not oppose Jeske’s application for bail, sparking a war of words from her barrister, Winston Terracini SC, who said his client had been treated unfairly by police, including having her house trashed and her arrest filmed and distributed to the media.

“They claimed [she was] involved in a whole range of very serious matters, they now recant all of the [allegations],” he said.

“You’d think [she was] a major criminal.”

Mr Terracini claimed in court Jeske had been “threatened by these hooligans in Raptor”, referencing the New Police Force’s tough anti-gangs squad, and told to co-operate with detectives investigating the Alameddine network.

Jeanette Jeske was charged with dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception, and deal with property proceeds of crime. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

“They told her they knew [she] had no involvement but wanted her to give up her son otherwise she’d be charged and refused bail,” Mr Terracini said.

“That’s the reason why she’s appearing in court in handcuffs today, because of this outrageous, fantastic, made up charge sheet.”

As part of her bail conditions, Jeske must report to police once a week, live at her Merrylands home and agree to forfeit $20,000 if she fails to turns up to court.

She has also been banned from contacting or going near a medical centre in Merrylands where the alleged fake certificate is believed to have originated.

Outside court, Mr Terracini doubled down on his critique of the conduct of the arresting officers.

When asked if he believed Jeske was unfairly targeted because of her son, he replied “well I can’t make any comment on that but she certainly has very, very serious complaints about this Raptor squad”.

Meanwhile, the police cases against Trent Jeske and several other alleged R4W members were also mentioned in court on Wednesday, with lawyers for those men indicating police were yet to serve any prosecution evidence.

Magistrate Stuart Devine adjourned the cases to September 14 for further mention.