A Lebanese man charged over a horrific alleged gang attack on two tradies where a man’s hand was nearly severed with a machete has been granted bail.
Allam Hassoun, 44, and Mostafa Ali, 34, were allegedly among six armed men who attacked two tradesmen who were installing metal roofing on a home in Lara, near Geelong, after a minor dispute on April 13.
The group allegedly bashed one victim with a baton, cricket bat and pieces of timber, while the other was allegedly slashed three times with a machete, leaving him with one hand partially severed at the wrist and the other severely injured.
Both face charges including aggravated burglary, intentionally causing injury and home invasion, and appeared in court on Monday where Magistrate Peter Reardon granted Mr Hassoun bail despite prosecutors warning his ties to the Middle East made him a flight risk, the Geelong Advertiser reported.
Mr Ali, who required an Arabic interpreter when he faced court for the first time in May, was refused bail after Mr Reardon found the case against him was stronger and said he appeared to be the “instigator” and “major player”.
Mr Hassoun’s defence barrister Peter Chadwick KC told the court during the bail application that neither his client nor Mr Ali were responsible for the alleged machete injuries, saying “the machete that inflicted the wounds was being wielded by another man entirely”.
Mr Hassoun’s lawyer James McQuillan also told the court his client denied colluding with the others to commit the offending, that there was insufficient evidence connecting him to the alleged offences, and said “there is every possibility Mr Hassoun could be acquitted at trial”.
The court heard Mr Hassoun worked for a Lebanon-based company as a sales and operations manager and regularly travelled to Tripoli, but Mr McQuillian said his client would surrender his passport if granted bail and had “no need” to return to Lebanon.
Prosecutors argued Mr Hassoun was a flight risk, and told the court police alleged there was evidence he was at the Sparrowhawk Avenue site and knowingly took part in the offending.
Mr Hassoun was given bail conditions including reporting to police twice a week, surrendering his passport, putting up a $50,000 surety, not contacting Mr Ali or the alleged victims, not leaving Victoria, and staying away from international points of departure.
The court previously heard Mr Ali arrived at an under-construction home to deliver paint on the morning of the alleged incident, but found the driveway blocked by metal roofing sheets being used by the alleged victims, who he did not know, on the neighbouring house.
Mr Ali allegedly yelled at the two men and threatened to run over the sheeting, before allegedly returning with Mr Hassoun and four other men several hours later.
The group allegedly entered the worksite, and when their alleged victims climbed down from the roof allegedly chased one tradie into the garage where he was allegedly bashed, and the other into the backyard where the alleged machete attack took place.
Mr Hassoun and Mr Ali will face court again on August 11.
Header image: Left, right, the injuries suffered by one of the alleged victims.
