Caught in solitary confinement for the previous 18 months, with solely a discman to occupy his time, former bikie kingpin Tarek Zahed has reassessed his life, his lawyer has advised a court docket.
Virtually 18 months on from his dramatic arrest in Sydney’s jap suburbs the 43-year-old is ready to be taught his sentence after pleading responsible over his function within the killing of Youssef Assoum.
The previous Comanchero nationwide sergeant-at-arms was arrested at gunpoint by specialist police who shot out the home windows of his automobile with bean bag rounds in Edgecliff, in Sydney’s jap suburbs, in August 2022.
Zahed, who was as soon as dubbed the “Balenciaga bikie”, was charged with homicide and kidnapping, with police on the time alleging he was accountable for the 2014 gangland homicide of Assoum.
Assoum, 29, was found by an off-duty physician exterior Liverpool Hospital struggling stab wounds to his head and a gunshot wound to his thigh. He later died in hospital.
However on the eve of Zahed’s trial final month, the homicide fees had been dropped as he and his brother Abdul struck a plea take care of prosecutors.
Final month, Tarek pleaded responsible to the lesser fees of hindering the invention of proof regarding the cleansing and ordering the destruction of a automobile.
Abdul Zahed pleaded responsible to being an adjunct after the very fact to homicide.
Throughout a sentence listening to within the NSW Supreme Court docket on Friday afternoon, Zahed’s barrister Ian Hill KC advised the court docket his consumer had admitted cleansing the Volkswagen Touareg by which Assoum was killed and directing it to be destroyed at a wrecking yard.
Mr Hill advised the court docket Zahed was on the time appearing out of loyalty to his brother.
“Our consumer clearly suspected the involvement of his brother Abdul within the deceased’s demise,” Mr Hill stated.
“And it’s submitted that he acted out of a misguided sense of loyalty to his brother. While accepting that can not be a think about mitigation.”
Zahed watched proceedings through videolink from Goulburn jail, the place he’s being held.
His arrest got here solely months after he sensationally survived an assassination try that killed his different brother Omar.
In Could 2022, Zahed was shot 10 instances exterior an Auburn health club in western Sydney.
Omar, 39, died after he was shot a number of instances within the arms, abdomen and legs, whereas Zahed was taken to Westmead Hospital in a essential situation.
He survived the assault however suffered vital accidents together with shedding an eye fixed.
The court docket heard Zahed had solely had restricted imaginative and prescient in his remaining eye as a result of cataracts, and couldn’t learn or watch tv.
Mr Hill stated Zahed had been saved in solitary confinement since his arrest and the one factor he needed to occupy his time was a CD participant.
“He’s had restricted mental stimulation within the final 18 months, apart from the jail authorities supplied him with a compact disc participant on which he might play music,” Mr Hill stated.
“However he’s had a lot time to reassess his life and his life’s values, notably in solitary confinement affected by the accidents that he has.”
Mr Hill stated Zahed, upon his launch, needed to maneuver again to Victoria, the place he had been dwelling.
Crown prosecutor Ken McKay SC advised the court docket Zahed was not entitled to leniency as a result of his prolonged felony historical past and identified he was on parole on the time he dedicated the offences.
Zahed will return to court docket subsequent week for sentencing.