El Attar employee Saadon Barakat Khalaf Qaeerani faces Toowoomba court over pay dispute that escalated into street fight

An employee of a Toowoomba restaurant took the phrase pay dispute to another level when he got involved in a ‘consensual’ street fight with his boss when anger over unpaid wages boiled over. DETAILS HERE.

Saadon Barakat Khalaf Qaeerani pleaded guilty to threatening his former boss, Ramadan Elattar, with a chunk of wood after the pair were involved in a consensual street fight outside El Attar restaurant.

A Toowoomba court has been told the owner of a popular Toowoomba restaurant engaged in a “consensual” street fight with an employee after a business meeting and pay dispute turned sour.

The worker, Saadon Barakat Khalaf Qaeerani, fronted Toowoomba court on Wednesday, November 8, and pleaded guilty to arming himself with a weapon mid-fight, which caused fear to El Attar owner Ramadan El Attar.

Police prosecutor Kinsley Weir said Qaeerani, Mr El Attar, and another man were in a meeting at a table outside the restaurant on May 8, when an argument ensued.

Senior Constable Weir said during the altercation, Qaeerani ran to his car and retrieved a “bat-like object,” before attempting to lunge at Mr El Attar.

Police alleged Ramadan Mohamed Hamed ah El Attar assaulted a man in February.

Senior Constable Weir said the third man involved in the business meeting held Qaeerani back, and when officers later spoke with Qaeerani, he said the dispute was about unpaid wages.

She noted the 38-year-old had no criminal history and the incident was on the lower end of the criminality scale for the charge of, ‘going armed in public to cause fear’.

The court was told that months after the altercation, the father and husband was involved in a road rage incident along Margaret St.

The court was told a man accused Qaeerani of rear-ending his car and began to film Qaeerani, who then “struck” out at the man’s face, hitting his glasses off.

He told officers he was frustrated and did not intend to harm the man, but rather he was trying to remove the man’s sunglasses.

At court on November 8, Qaeerani also pleaded guilty to assaulting the man.

Magistrate Louise Shephard told Qaeerani he may have been in a “heightened emotional state” during the altercation with his former boss, but he “went too far” by arming himself.

He was fined $600 and no conviction was recorded.