Sami Hamdach: Murderer learns fate over fatal AirPods attack

A man was bashed to death for selling a pair of fake earbuds in a “senseless” attack because his killer wanted to teach him a lesson.

A Sydney man who hatched a plan to lure Ross Houllis to a carpark where he was bashed to death over a pair of fake Apple AirPods has been jailed for at least 12 years over the “senseless” and “cruel” attack.

Sami Hamdach on Friday sat silently watching on from prison as he learnt his fate inside Sydney’s Supreme Court having pleaded guilty to the murder of Mr Houllis, 28.

Mr Houllis died in hospital three days after being beaten, kicked and stomped on in a carpark at Wakeley in western Sydney on Valentine’s Day in 2020.

The tragedy was set in motion the day before when Hamdach agreed via Facebook Marketplace to purchase a set of earphones from Mr Houllis for $150.

The court was told that Hamdach became angry after later learning that the AirPods, which he had purchased as a gift for his girlfriend, were fake.

After being lured to the carpark, Mr Houllis was attacked by Hamdach and his co-offender Abdul Karaali, who had been enlisted as “muscle” for the ambush, the court was told.

Ross Houllis died after being assaulted in a Wakeley carpark. Picture: NSW Police

“The need for muscle arose because it was the offender’s intention to not only insist upon a refund but also to teach Mr Houllis a lesson by beating him up,” Justice Stephen Campbell said in his sentencing remarks on Friday.

The court was told that during the assault, Hamdach was loudly and aggressively yelling for his money to be returned.

Justice Campbell said that CCTV showed Karaali punching Mr Houllis in the head and body as he was held by Hamdach.

At another point in the altercation, Karaali kicked Mr Houllis, who was standing at the time, in the head.

“Mr Karaali twice stomped on his head in quick succession in an obviously gratuitous, senseless and cruel manner,” Justice Campbell said, noting that Hamdach stopped Karaali from delivering a third blow.

Karaali pleaded not guilty to murder but a jury earlier this month found him guilty and he is awaiting sentence proceedings.

During the attack, two motorists stopped to ask if Mr Houllis was OK but were told he was intoxicated and that the two men were looking after him.

After fleeing the scene, Hamdach was identified because his ute was captured on CCTV.

Mr Houllis died on February 17, 2020, because of catastrophic brain injuries.

The fake items Ross Houllis was trying to sell via Facebook Marketplace. Picture: Supplied

Justice Campbell said Hamdach was the “progenitor” of the joint criminal enterprise that led to Mr Houllis’ death, which occurred when he took “the law into his own hands”.

“I must say one of the confounding aspects of the offender’s offending has been the difficulty in understanding how a young man with no real criminal record, living an otherwise productive life, came to be involved in the murder of Mr Houllis over such the trifling matter of the supply of non-genuine earbuds,” Justice Campbell said.

Hamdach was sentenced to 16 years and two months in prison, with a non-parole period of 12 years. With time served, he will first be eligible for release in February 2032.