‘I don’t want to rob a Muslim’: Khalid Ali jailed for Albion station armed robbery

A drunk menace who claimed to be upset about the Christchurch shootings robbed his terrified victim at knifepoint near Albion train station before asking the international student if he was a Muslim and demanding he prove it.

Knife-wielding menace Khalid Ali was jailed for an armed robbery near Albion station in March, 2019.

A drunken thief who robbed an international student at knifepoint told his victim he didn’t want to rob a Muslim and he was upset about the Christchurch shootings.

Khalid Ali stank of alcohol when he robbed a man who got off a train at Albion station about 9.30pm on March 18 this year.

Ali pressed a knife into the back of the man’s neck and demanded money.

His terrified victim handed over his wallet, later telling police he could smell alcohol on his attacker’s breath.

As he walked away, Ali began shouting after him, “Brother, brother, are you Muslim?”.

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The victim said he was, and Ali asked him to “swear it”, saying he was upset over the Christchurch shooting massacre three days earlier and “did not want to rob a Muslim”.

Ali took out the man’s debit card to check his ID and then accused the man of lying, pulling out his flick knife again and pointing it at his victim’s chest.

The victim ran away and called police who arrived not long after.

Ali robbed his victim just after he hopped off a train at Albion station.

Officers found the knife and arrested Ali but he refused to give them his name.

“So my name is police,” Ali said.

“That’s all I’m giving you. F*** you.”

Ali lashed out at police before he was eventually handcuffed and taken back to Sunshine police station.

Ali, 21, was sentenced in the County Court on September 16 to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery and resisting an emergency worker on duty.

The victim said the incident had changed his life.

He has suffered flashbacks and felt unable to continue with his education, which will result in him needing to both re-enrol and seek an extension on his visa.

“This incident has ruined me and my dreams of a good career in Australia,” he said in his victim impact statement.

Ali told his victim he was upset because of the Christchurch shootings.

Judge Lisa Hannan said the attack “must have been terrifying for the victim” who knew Ali was “intoxicated and armed”.

“The victim was vulnerable and properly described as a soft target, being alone on a street at night without ready access to assistance,” she said.

“We all have a right to live and work in our community without being subjected to this kind of violence.

“You engaged in gratuitous threatening violence even after you had the victim’s wallet.”

Ali was ordered to undertake a community corrections order after his release.

He had spent 182 days in custody at the time of sentencing.

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