Hawke's mate freed on poisons charge

Former PM Bob Hawke with PM Julia Gillard / Pic: Kym Smith Source: The Daily Telegraph

A SAUDI businessman and close friend of former prime minister Bob Hawke walked free from a Sydney court yesterday after a judge accepted he had done enough time for drugging a couple at his Mosman home.

Safwat Abdel-Hady, 51, was sentenced to at least five years in prison in 2009 after he was convicted for slipping the sleeping drug Stilnox to the pair, who he had just met at a Kings Cross nightclub. He was also found guilty of indecently assaulting the semiconscious woman while her partner slept in another bedroom during the 2006 incident.

But the verdict was thrown out last year when the Court of Criminal Appeal ruled there had been a "lack of balance" in the trial judge's summing up. Abdel-Hady was released about two years and eight months into his jail term after a retrial was ordered.

Mr Hawke, his one-time co-director in Australian Gulf Mineral Resources, and wife Blanche d'Alpuget made a surprise appearance in support of Abdel-Hady at the appeal last year.

Abdel-Hady appeared in the District Court for re-sentencing yesterday after pleading guilty to an alternate charge - using a poison to endanger the couple's lives or inflict grievous bodily harm. The indecent assault allegation was dropped.

Acting Judge Warwick Andrew said it appeared Abdel-Hady had "rehabilitated himself" and he was free to go.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Hawke's mate freed on poisons charge

Dengan url

https://andiplinplan.blogspot.com/2012/11/hawkes-mate-freed-on-poisons-charge.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Hawke's mate freed on poisons charge

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Hawke's mate freed on poisons charge

sebagai sumbernya