Former top lawyer Madonna Kobayssi threatens to ‘slash’ ex-property manager
Bizarre court scenes erupted as an ex-senior associate of a global law firm threatened to “run over” her former property manager.
A glamorous ex-associate of a global law firm has had an “embarrassing day” in court as she threatened to “run over” her former property manager over a bitter tenancy dispute.
Madonna Kobayssi once held a promising future as the face of a leading law firm.
But the 38-year-old’s thriving career, which spanned several countries, came to an abrupt end in 2020 when her physical and mental health deteriorated, Sutherland Local Court heard on Thursday.
Two years after being unemployed, agreed facts tendered to court show she assaulted her property manager.
That was the start of what became a bitter dispute involving threatening emails and culminating in Kobayssi having a laughing fit at court, refusing to take responsibility for breaching an apprehended violence order (AVO) and even threatening to “run over” the victim in front of a magistrate.
As soon as Magistrate Hugh Donnelly mentioned the AVO matter in court, Kobayssi began laughing as she appeared via audiovisual link from prison.
“Do you think that’s funny,” Magistrate Donnelly asked, to which Kobayssi responded: “Yes, very much”.
Magistrate Donnelly asked Kobayssi’s Legal Aid lawyer, Nic Breen, if there was “any issue with your client”.
Mr Breen told the court she was “having an unusual response to the charges”.
Magistrate Donnelly noted she had a history of post traumatic stress disorder and depression but there was no medical record of current mental health problems or explanation for the bizarre behaviour.
According to agreed facts, police took out an AVO against Kobayssi to protect her former property manager at a North Bondi home after the assault.
Despite that order banning Kobayssi from harming, threatening, stalking, harassing or intimidating the victim, the property manager received an email from her at 6:30am on May 23 last year, titled: “Return my money or else I’ll cut you in half”.
The words inside the email read: “Return my money for my absolutely abhorrent stay at your place — from harassment to trespassing and other damages to my person including my health. I’m not joking - if you don’t return my money by the end of week, I’ll have you stashed in the back of a police car like the junk yard that you are and slashed into a million pieces.
“Attached are my bank details under the name Madonna Kobayssi. Thanks and expect your door to be broken down and immediate arrest if you dare think of contesting this”.
The facts state the victim felt threatened by this email as Kobayssi knew where she worked and how to gain access into the apartment complex.
“The victim did not understand why the accused emailed her after no contact for so many months,” the facts read.
“The victim did not respond to the email”.
After the victim reported the email to police, Kobayssi confirmed it was sent by her email address but claimed it was “hacked by the victim”.
“The accused continuously stated that she has requested money from the victim due to harassment and trespassing when she was residing in the property, however, they have not transferred the funds,” the facts read.
“The accused had made numerous threats to take action against the victim and show them what a ‘real’ breach of an AVO is and what it looks like. The accused has no remorse and will not stop until she gets her retribution towards the victim”.
Mr Breen told the court his client had “a pretty large fall from grace” from her successful legal career.
“No doubt this is an embarrassing day for her, given her background,” he said.
“I can’t say there is remorse,” he added, which was met with a smile and laugh from Kobayssi.
The court heard Kobayssi was not working due to suffering from a chronic pain condition called fibromyalgia and was living off disability insurance protection.
Magistrate Donnelly called Kobayssi a “threatening member of the community”.
“She’s had another matter on her record — a civil dispute where your client says she’s a victim and there is an allegation she went into (someone’s) office area and stole a whole lot of stuff and got a CCO (community correction order) and there were also some personal violence offences,” he said.
“Her failure to appear (at court) in the last proceedings was of significant concern”.
While the police prosecutor opposed bail, saying she had shown no remorse, Kobayssi cut him off to say:
“I am the victim. If I could drive, I would run them over”.
That threat caused Magistrate Donnelly to ask the court officer to cut her AVL link.
Magistrate Donnelly ultimately granted Kobayssi bail with an order to attend community corrections in Sutherland, given she now lives in Bexley.
He ordered a sentence assessment report and set a sentence date of July 20 for the breach of AVO and breach of CCO.