Shock new details emerge about the amateur boxer accused of breaking a referee’s jaw in a vicious attack after soccer match – as police charge him with string of offences
- Amateur boxer charged over ref attack
- Adam Abdullah faces multiple charges
- Man shot in alleged gang hit was teammate
The man charged over the brutal assault of a soccer referee played on the same team as a celebrity chauffeur recently shot dead outside an MMA gym.
Adam Abdullah, 25, faces charges of allegedly wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and affray over an incident on Friday that was captured on video in which assistant referee Khoder Yaghi was punched and kicked in the head.
The amateur boxer was arrested after presenting himself to Bankstown police station in Sydney‘s southwest about 2.40pm on Sunday.
It has emerged that Mr Abdullah played for the same south west Sydney club – the Greenacre Eagles – as Taha Sabbagh, who was gunned down in front of his 12-year-old son at close range in an alleged underworld hit in March.
Friday’s alleged assault happened just before 10.30pm at the conclusion of a match between the between the Eagles and the Padstow Hornets at Padstow Park in south-west Sydney.
Adam Abdullah, 25 (pictured), faces charges of wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and affray over the alleged attack
Mr Yaghi has undergone emergency surgery at Sydney’s Liverpool hospital after his jaw was broken in three places
Mr Abdullah, who was suspended from playing with the Greenacre club for two years for on-field fighting, is alleged to have confronted Mr Yaghi after the final whistle.
But Seven News reported that associates of Mr Abdullah claim he was first hit with the referee’s flag which sparked the alleged assault.
Photos uploaded to social media show Mr Abdullah’s face badly bruised.
Horror footage shows Mr Yaghi, 45, being pulled to the ground as he tries to cover his face to protect himself from punches and kicks
A crowd quickly forms around the pair with bystanders seen trying to come to the referees aid.
Mr Yaghi eventually staggers to his feet covered in blood and mumbles: ‘He broke my jaw.’
Mr Yaghi was taken to Liverpool Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery for his jaw which was fractured in three places.
The father of four boys told Nine News that he feared he ‘was going to die’.
Mr Sabbagh was a top driver for several luxury chauffeur services around Sydney, regularly ferrying high-level clients to meetings and parties (pictured with social media star Hasbulla)
It has emerged that Mr Abdullah played for the same south west Sydney club – the Greenacre Eagles – as Taha Sabbagh (pictured), who was gunned down in front of his 12-year-old son at close range in an alleged underworld hit in March
Associates of Mr Abdullah (pictured) claim he was first hit with the referee’s flag which sparked the alleged assault
Mr Abdullah, who lives in the south west Sydney suburb of Villawood, has been refused bail and is set to appear at Bankstown Local Court on Monday.
Greenacre Eagles released a statement on Sunday saying it had chosen to withdraw its team from the first-grade MPL competition and is co-operating with police.
‘As a result of the incident that occurred following the conclusion of the match, our club has made the decision to withdraw the team from the competition for the remainder of the 2023 season,’ it read.
‘This serves as a reminder to all that violence will not be tolerated at our club.’
The troubled club is still reeling from the alleged gangland murder of former player Mr Sabbagh, shot up to 10 times while seated in his Mercedes next to his son outside the Elite Fight Force gym at Sefton, on March 2.
The 40-year-old was allegedly ambushed about 6:30am when a Mazda 3 pulled up and a volley of bullets were fired at him.
Detectives on April 24 charged Le Nghia Andy Pham, 26, for his alleged role in the murder, arresting him as he was preparing to board a plane at Sydney International Airport.
Khoder Yaghi had been refereeing a match between Padstow Hornets and Greenacre Eagles at Padstow Park, in south-west Sydney, on Friday night when the alleged assault occurred