Slain Comanchero Fares Abounader knew he was wanted dead
Police told former Comanchero bikie Fares Abounader that “someone was trying to get to him” over a year before he was finally assassinated at his southwest Sydney home in front of his wife last week.
Police & Courts
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Slain bikie Fares Abounader was living in fear with a price on his head which police knew about, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
The former Comanchero “road captain” had been forced to move house for the safety of himself and his family after he was threatened as he tried to quit the bikie gang, a court was told.
Abounader, 39, died outside his home in Panania on Saturday, August 29, after he was shot multiple times by a waiting gunman as he stepped out of his Mercedes 4WD in front of his distraught wife, Christie.
Police are yet to arrest anyone but confirmed to Abounader in about May last year that “someone was trying to get” to him, according to evidence in court.
His fears were revealed to Judge Paul Conlon in October 2019 when the father-of-one was sentenced for possessing a Glock pistol and ammunition which he said he had obtained for his own safety as he tried to leave the Comanchero gang after getting out of jail following the 2009 fatal brawl at Sydney airport which left a Hells Angels member dead.
He had recently patched over to the rival Bandidos but it is not known whether he did that to try and protect himself.
He told Judge Conlon he had heard there was a “hit on my head and there were some serious threats” and had been confronted by people on the street who told him that there was “a hit on you”.
“He indicated that about six months ago there was a (police) officer who contacted him by telephone telling him that he needed to see him and that it was important,” Judge Conlon said in his sentencing remarks.
“He indicated that he spoke on several occasions to that officer where ultimately he said to that officer, “Just be honest with me is someone trying to get to me”.
“He said the officer said, “Pretty much yes but I need to see you and confirm this with you”.”
The judge said there was no indication that Abounader had anything else to do with that officer.
But there were “numerous” occasions when police would knock on his door and ask questions like: “Are you in fear of your safety? Are you okay?”
Abounader would reply: “Mate I’ve got no problem with anyone.”
Abounader was a key player in the 2009 airport brawl between the Comanchero and Hells Angels, an event which ultimately sent since slain club boss Mick Hawi to jail and claimed the life of 29-year-old Hells Angels associate Anthony Zervas.
Abounader had marshalled other Comanchero to meet Hawi at the airport after Hawi and rival Hells Angels boss Derek Wainohu found themselves on the same plane from Melbourne. Abounader took a knife to the fight but he only managed to cut his own hand, which was badly injured.
Judge Conlon said he accepted evidence that after serving his minimum four-year sentence for riot, Abounader had tried to leave the bikie life behind but acknowledged how tough that would be.
“For judges with the same level of background and experience as I have had it is not difficult to understand how difficult it might be for persons with the background and associations that the offender has had to extricate themselves from those organisations and to maintain a law abiding lifestyle,” Judge Conlon said.
The court was told how Abounader had been living at Lugarno in 2017 when police raided his house and found the illegally imported Glock pistol.
Judge Conlon said when sentencing him in October last year that he accepted evidence from his former boss, for whom he worked as a concreter, that he was an honest, loyal and genuine person.
Prison officers also gave him glowing references including: “He shows a lot of maturity and has a calming effect on other inmates. He is polite, courteous and respectful to staff.”
For the gun offences, he had already spent over eight months in jail on remand and Judge Conlon sentenced him to a further 18 months parole and directed he be released that day.