Shot Sydney lawyer Mahmoud Abbas files urgent court application over seized laptop

He is still recovering from wounds sustained in a targeted driveby shooting last week, but a prominent Sydney criminal lawyer now has an urgent court matter on his hands.

A prominent Sydney lawyer who survived a daylight shooting last week has made an urgent application to the NSW Supreme Court to deny investigators unfettered access to his work laptop.

Officers seized the device as part of their investigation into the “targeted” shooting of Mahmoud Abbas outside his Greenacre home just before 10.30am last Wednesday.

Mr Abbas was shot in the stomach and right leg when a gunman opened fire as he got into his high-powered BMW in the driveway of his home on Narelle Cres.

He managed to run inside the premises and call triple-0 himself.

Police immediately deployed officers from the Criminal Groups Squad and Raptor Squads, who declared the area a crime scene.

High-profile Sydney lawyer Mahmoud Abbas outside Central Local Court in 2021. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

Mr Abbas was shot outside his Greenacre home last week. Picture: TNV

Mr Abbas’ work laptop and other electronic devices were seized as part of the investigation, which is looking at whether the shooting is linked to his underworld clients or a completely unrelated matter.

However, The Daily Telegraph can reveal Mr Abbas made an urgent application to the NSW Supreme Court on Monday seeking to stop police having unfettered access to the electronic devices, which are understood to contain sensitive information about ongoing court cases and communications between Mr Abbas and his clients that are the subject of legal professional privilege.

Sydney lawyer Mahmoud Abbas who was shot on Narelle Crescent in Greenacre on Thursday. Must Credit TNV

Justice Ian Harrison issued a court order that arrangements be made for Mr Abbas or his legal presentative to be present to monitor investigators as they comb through the data contained on the devices, and raise any issues of attorney-client privilege as it arises.

The application itself will next be mentioned in court on Friday.

Meanwhile, Mr Abbas has undergone multiple surgeries in hospital to have his kidney removed and repairs to his leg. He is expected to make a full recovery.

The Telegraph revealed at the weekend that Mr Abbas had allegedly been kidnapped and had his eyebrows and head shaved in the months leading up to the shooting.

Solicitor Mahmoud Abbas (centre) has represented clients including Salim Mehajer (left). Picture: AAP Image/Brendan Esposito

However, Mr Abbas is not accused of any wrongdoing. The incident is expected to form part of the investigation into the shooting.

After Mr Abbas was taken to hospital, police attempted to gain entry to access CCTV cameras on the outside of his home and the home of his brother, Mohamad Abbas, who lives in the duplex next door.

However that request was denied by the homeowners, with police returning several hours later with search warrants to access it.

The incident quickly sent shockwaves through Sydney’s legal profession, with the young solicitor known in the industry for representing high-profile clients including Salim Mehajer and Jamil Hopoate, as well as a number of alleged underworld figures.

“This is a person who went to university, has a family, works hard and for him to be shot outside of his home where his family reside, is obviously a very scary and worrying thing,” fellow solicitor Ahmed Dib said.

“We just hope he recovers very quickly, he is a lovely man.”

Experienced criminal lawyer Sam Macedone said: “It’s a bit of a shock, lawyers do their job and they don’t deserve to be paid in lead”.