‘Unknown’ reason behind Skaf brother’s illegal tracking device: court
The younger brother of notorious gang rapists Bilal and Mohammed Skaf had a “flick of the switch” while behind bars for four months on remand, a court has been told.
Hadi Skaf, 25, was found guilty at Sydney’s Burwood Local Court earlier this year of driving a stolen vehicle and using a tracking device to find an object without consent.
Skaf was arrested in 2022 outside the WM Hotel in Bankstown after driving to the scene in what the court heard earlier this year was a stolen Audi Q7 SUV.
On Wednesday, the court was told magistrate Glenn Bartley found Skaf had met with a group of men “for the purpose of some sort of criminal activity against the victim”.
Camera IconHadi Skaf is the brother of notorious gang rapists Bilal and Mohammed Skaf. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia
“The precise activity is unknown. They were acting in concert towards the goal of some sort of criminal activity,” police prosecutor Hazel Pais told the court.
Ms Pais said Skaff had been the driver of the car and that the tracking device had been used to monitor the victim, known as AA, for five days up until his arrest.
In submissions, Ms Pais said Skaff had failed to show evidence of claimed mental health concerns or remorse, having earlier stated he did not know the car was stolen.
Those assertions were disputed by Mr Skaf’s defence barrister Oussama Elfawal, who told the court a sentencing assessment report was unclear about his remorse.
“Your Honour has available to you to suggest Mr Skaf has taken a positive turn in his life. There are no further offences and he has been attending TAFE,” he said.
“My ultimate submission is the court cannot be satisfied one way or another (from the sentencing report) that he did or did not take accountability for his actions.
Camera IconBrother Mohammed Skaf is one of Australia’s most infamous convicted rapists. Credit: News Corp Australia
“The reality is this young man, before these charges, never served a term of full-time custody. When he did, there was a flick of a switch and there were no further offences”.
In sentencing, Mr Bartley said he rejected there had been a “flick of a switch” in Skaf while in prison and that “the tenure of the offender is excuse making”.
“He (Skaf) claimed to be helping a friend out and that he didn’t expect what it was – that is not credible. That is consistent with earlier cases,” Mr Bartley said.
Skaf was resentenced and convicted of previous charges dating back to 2020 of driving with an illicit drug and a single charge of supplying a prohibited drug.
For those matters, he received a 12-month conditional release order and intensive corrections order respectively, as well as a six-month ban from driving.
For the most recent charges, Mr Bartley ordered Skaf serve two concurrent conditional release orders and that he comply with drug abuse and mental health therapy.
Skaf had no involvement in his older brothers’ crimes.
#Unknown #reason #Skaf #brothers #illegal #tracking #device #court