Home and Away catfish Lydia Abdelmalek to appeal sentence
A youth worker who posed as former Home and Away star Lincoln Lewis to lure women into relationships is fighting to have her sentence reduced.
A Melbourne woman who posed as an Aussie soap star to lure women into relationships, before launching a shocking stalking campaign, has decided to fight for a shorter sentence.
Lydia Abdelmalek lost her appeal against conviction for six counts of stalking in the County Court of Victoria last week.
“I am satisfied the appellant was responsible for the stalking behaviour,” Judge Claire Quin said.
She found the charges against the woman proven, and labelled the offending as “extremely bizarre”.
But on Thursday lawyers for the 32-year-old told the court they planned to continue with their bid to challenge her original two year and eight month sentence.
When she lost her conviction appeal last week, her barrister Tim Sullivan indicated Abdelmalek wanted to withdraw the sentence appeal.
It comes three years after Abdelmalek was initially found guilty of stalking and ordered to serve time behind bars in the Heidelberg Magistrates Court.
She launched her cruel plot to “catfish” victims a decade ago and her merciless stalking campaign would have devastating consequences. One victim tragically took her own life.
But Abdelmalek consistently denied she was behind the “merciless” stalking campaign against the victims.
“You are the catfisher who created the deception around these people, where they couldn’t live their lives anymore,” Crown Prosecutor Angela Moran asked during the lengthy trial.
“No,” was the response.
The matter will return to court in August.