Younes, a member of the Alameddine gang, was granted bail by Justice Campbell with stringent conditions after being cleared of previous charges. These conditions included electronic monitoring, daily reporting to police, a curfew, and a $1.8 million surety. Despite his criminal associations, the judge believed that Younes, who was supporting his mother’s household, would not risk her home by failing to appear in court. However, Younes was hit with a fresh affray charge for a violent incident in prison, allegedly involving a man from a different organised crime network. He was denied bail for this charge and is scheduled to appear in court for the kidnapping charge.
Younes’s lawyer criticized the decision to deny bail for the affray charge as “outrageous,” suggesting that it may have been an attempt to prevent his release on the kidnapping charge. The lawyer argued that Younes should be granted bail, but the judge deemed him a flight risk due to his criminal associations and the possibility that they could facilitate him leaving the country. Despite this, Justice Campbell ultimately decided to grant bail for the kidnapping charge, citing Younes’s responsibility to support his family. The conditions of the bail included strict monitoring and a substantial surety.
The court heard that Younes had admitted his affiliation with the Alameddine gang to prison authorities while on remand for previous charges from which he was eventually cleared. This information, along with his criminal associations, played a role in the judge’s decision regarding bail. The judge acknowledged the potential risk of Younes fleeing the country, but ultimately believed that he would not put his mother’s home in jeopardy by failing to appear in court. However, a subsequent affray charge for a prison altercation with a member of a different crime network led to Younes being denied bail for that charge.
Younes is expected to appear in Parramatta Local Court for the kidnapping charge despite being denied bail for the affray charge. His lawyer criticized the decision to deny bail, suggesting that it may have been an attempt to hinder his release on the kidnapping charge. The lawyer argued that Younes posed no flight risk and should have been granted bail, but the judge deemed otherwise due to his criminal associations and the potential for him to leave the country with the help of his network. Despite these challenges, Younes is scheduled to face court for the kidnapping charge and uphold his legal responsibilities.
