Bondi Beach shooting hero denies assault and intimidation charges in Sydney court

SYDNEY: Ahmed al Ahmed, the Sydney man who was widely praised after intervening in last year’s Bondi Beach mass shooting, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges linked to an alleged incident involving his father.

Court documents provided to AFP showed that the 44-year-old is facing charges of common assault and domestic stalking or intimidation. The next hearing in the case has been set for August 12 in the Sydney suburb of Bankstown.

Ahmed, a fruit seller, came to international attention after video footage showed him stepping in during the December 14 attack at a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach, where 15 people were killed. He moved between parked cars as the shooting unfolded, overpowered one of the two gunmen and took away his weapon in an attempt to stop the attack. He was later treated for gunshot wounds sustained during the incident.

Outside court, his lawyer Mohamad Sakr said the case had been difficult for his client because it involved family members.

"It has been very difficult. It is a family situation that he never expected, one would never want to expect, and it must be very difficult for him. There is one thing that must be upheld and that is the presumption of innocence. He is a heroic man and his honesty and dignity should be maintained until these matters are determined,” Sakr also said.

After the Bondi Beach attack, Ahmed met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and a fundraiser launched in his support collected more than $1 million. Last month, his two brothers also appeared in a Sydney court over allegations that they tried to pressure him into handing over part of that money.