NSW Police constable John Vassallo charged with data breaches granted bail

A police officer who allegedly sourced police data about bikies and an underworld shooting allegedly committed most of the offences after being stabbed during a siege in Sydney.

A police officer accused of illegally accessing information about bikies and a Sydney underworld shooting allegedly committed a bulk of the offending after being stabbed in the head during a violent siege in the city’s lower north shore.

Suspended NSW Police constable John Paul Vassallo was granted bail in Penrith Local Court on Monday three days after being charged with 11 offences allegedly committed between May, 2021, and April, 2024.

Vassallo, who is currently attached to the force’s North West Metropolitan region, was attacked by Zubair Joarder in November, 2021, when he responded to an incident at Gladesville.

Joarder was sentenced in August, 2023, to six years behind bars by NSW District Court Judge Penny Hock with a non-parole period of three years after Vassallo had told the sentencing hearing he had “struggled both mentally and physically” as a result of the attack.

NSW Police constable John Vassallo being in an ambulance. Picture: Toby Zerna

The laceration on the back of John Vassallo’s head. Picture: NSW Police

Vassallo’s arrest came after an investigation which saw the 29-year-old being charged with misconduct in public office and 10 counts of unauthorised access to, or modification of, restricted data held in a computer.

Officers attached to Strike Force Casing also executed a search warrant at an address in Chester Hill where they seized items relevant to the investigation.

John Vassallo allegedly accessed information about members and affiliates of bikie gangs including the Comanchero. Picture: NSW Police

Court documents state Vassallo allegedly accessed the NSW Police computerised operational policing system – known internally as COPS – without authorisation on nearly 600 occasions.

Vassallo allegedly probed the system to find details about members and affiliates of the Comanchero outlaw bikie gang, as well as people connected to the Rebels or Finks gangs.

The documents state Vassallo also allegedly searched through the profiles of four persons of interest in a Sydney underworld shooting at Adel’s Salon, in Marrickville, in July 2023.

The shooting left brothers William and Eric Siale with gunshot wounds after a balaclava-clad man allegedly charged into the shop and sprayed the men with bullets.

The Marrickville shooting left brothers William and Eric Siale with gunshot wounds. Picture: Monique Harmer

Vassallo allegedly looked up driver’s licence details, vehicle registrations, 11 intelligence reports and four COPS events in relation to a quartet being investigated by Strike Force Orsino.

Vassallo also allegedly looked up information about family members, neighbours, people he bought cars from and sold vehicles to, an associate’s ex-partner, and other associates, both criminal and clean.

The documents state Vassallo had a “propensity to disregard the rights of individuals including work colleagues” and “displayed a lack of adherence to his oath of office”.

In court on Monday, Director of Public Prosecutions solicitor Nicholas Leach opposed bail citing the “incredibly serious” allegations and the risk of Vassallo not showing up to court, committing further offences and interfering with prosecution witnesses of evidence.

“Given the nature of the offending involving a deliberate course of conduct over several years the court can have no confidence he will comply with bail,” Mr Leach said.

Vassallo’s solicitor Hisham Karnib submitted even if his client was to be convicted of the allegations there would be “alternatives to full-time custody” given the accused’s lack of criminal record.

Mr Karnib pointed Magistrate Brian van Zuylen to the Glebe attack which preceded a majority of the allegations with the solicitor submitting there was a “casual nexus”.

Zubair Joarder was jailed for up to six years for the attack on the police officer. Picture: Toby Zerna

The court heard Vassallo suffered from PTSD as a result of the incident and his medical treatment was ongoing.

Mr Van Zuylen granted bail on the condition he reside at Claremont Meadows, not leave Australia, not access COPS, not contact any prosecution witness and have an acceptable person – namely his father – deposit a bail surety of $10,000.

Mr Leach asked the magistrate to consider a usually standard police reporting condition, however, that was swiftly rejected.

“The community doesn’t want him anywhere near the police,” Mr Van Zuylen said.

“He shouldn’t be in there for any reason even if it is to report.”

The case will be mentioned at Sydney’s Downing Centre in March. Vassallo is yet to enter pleas.

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