Toowoomba, Brisbane restaurant owner Ramadan Mohamed Hamed El Attar sentenced for assaulting employee

The details that lead to a Toowoomba restaurant owner assaulting an employee have been revealed in court. Here’s what sparked the conflict.

Restaurant owner Ramadan El Attar leaving the Toowoomba Courthouse with his lawyer on Thursday morning, February 23. Picture: News Regional Media

The owner of a Toowoomba restaurant and Brisbane kebab shop has been fined $1200 for assaulting an employee while at work.

At Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Tuesday, March 26, Ramadan Mohamed Hamed El Attar pleaded guilty to one count of common assault, after surrendering himself to the police.

Before he was sentenced, magistrate Louise Shephard recalled and cancelled a warrant for the businessman’s arrest.

The court was told the assault occurred at Toowoomba’s Middle Eastern restaurant, El Attar, on April 16, 2023.

Restaurant owner Ramadan El Attar leaving the Toowoomba Courthouse with his lawyer on Thursday morning, February 23. Picture: News Regional Media

Police prosecutor Tim Hutton said the dispute between the worker and El Attar began after the man told El Attar he planned to find another job.

Sergeant Hutton said during a heated argument, both men said offensive things to each other about their “community and religion”.

The court was told El Attar demanded his employee to get out, however followed the man to his car before hitting him in the face and the back of the neck.

The man then drove to a police station to report the assault.

Solicitor Danielle Heable said the violent act was out of character for her client who only had one entry on his criminal history from 2016.

Ms Heable said the 39-year-old family man, who did charity work, was suffering stressors at the time and accepted his reaction was unacceptable.

Ms Shephard said it was accepted the assault was out of character and fined El Attar $1200.

No conviction was recorded.

Toowoomba restaurant owner Ramadan Mohamed Hamed ah El Attar.

The day before he was sentenced, an arrest warrant was issued for El Attar’s arrest as he was due to plead guilty to one charge of common assault on Monday, March 25, however he did not attend court.

The court was told El Attar left Toowoomba after receiving news a family member was ill.

On three previous occasions, El Attar was scheduled to plead guilty however the proceedings did not go ahead.

On Monday, Ms Shephard said the court would not be wasting any more time and released a warrant for his arrest, which was endorsed by Sergeant Hutton.
The prosecutor said since extensive case conferencing with El Attar’s lawyer, police were having trouble getting him back to court.

In November, El Attar had several charges dropped, including deprivation of liberty, threatening violence via the discharge of a firearm, and making death threats.