Bondi shooting hero Ahmed al Ahmed cleared of assault charges
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- Ahmed al-Ahmed, who disarmed a gunman during the Bondi beach attack, has had assault charges against him dismissed.
- The charges involved an alleged headlock on his father and intimidation, to which he had pleaded not guilty.
- Al-Ahmed had previously alleged family members were seeking money from him following his heroic actions.
Ahmed al-Ahmed, the man hailed as a hero for disarming one of the gunmen during the Bondi beach terror attack, has had assault charges against him dropped. The 44-year-old had faced accusations of putting his father in a headlock on March 9 and intimidation related to an alleged incident in June.
Al-Ahmed had pleaded not guilty to both charges in Bankstown local court on June 24. Prosecutors confirmed on Wednesday that they had withdrawn the counts. While the assault charges were dismissed, a domestic violence order protecting his father will remain in place for 12 months, according to court documents.
It is a family situation he never expected, one would never want to expect, and it must be really difficult for him.
In June, al-Ahmed's lawyer, Mohamad Sakr, emphasized his client's innocence, stating, "It is a family situation he never expected... and it must be really difficult for him." Sakr added, "He is a heroic man and his honesty and dignity should be maintained until these matters are ultimately determined."
He is a heroic man and his honesty and dignity should be maintained until these matters are ultimately determined.
When the charges were first laid, al-Ahmed publicly claimed that some family members were attempting to extort money from him, seeking a share of the more than $2.5 million raised in his name after his actions during the massacre gained international attention. He told Sydney radio 2GB in June, "This situation is untrue, it's extortion... and my two brothers have been harassing me, abusing me and pushing to get money from me."
His brothers, Sameh and Hozifa, were granted conditional bail in June after pleading not guilty to charges of using a carriage service to menace or harass, stemming from allegations they tried to extort $200,000 from their brother. An interim domestic violence prevention order prohibits the brothers from approaching within 100 meters of al-Ahmed, his home, or workplace.
This situation is untrue, it’s extortion ... and my two brothers have been harassing me, abusing me and pushing to get money from me.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by The Guardian. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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