SYDNEY – An incident involving a violent assault on a match referee by an amateur boxer has resulted in a jail sentence for the individual involved. The event took place nearly two years ago at a soccer match in a suburb of Sydney, Australia.
Adam Abdallah, an amateur boxer, was caught on camera physically attacking referee Khodr Yaghi following a match in April 2023 in Padstow, located in the southwest of Sydney. The confrontation began with a verbal exchange, during which Yaghi made contact with Abdallah using a 40-centimeter (16-inch) assistant referee’s flag.
Abdallah, who is 26 years old, admitted guilt in September to a charge of reckless grievous bodily harm. On Wednesday, he received a prison sentence of at least one year and two months during the sentencing hearing conducted in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court.
During the altercation, Abdallah was initially held back and escorted away by his friends. However, he later returned and attacked the referee, delivering a series of blows that left Yaghi on the ground. As a result of the attack, Yaghi required hospitalization, having lost four teeth and sustained two fractures to his jaw.
Abdallah’s presence at the venue was in violation of a suspension imposed by the league at the time. Judge Nicole Noman commented that, although Yaghi may have triggered the incident, Abdallah’s response constituted a “cowardly” attack, with repeated blows landing while the referee was defenseless.
“This was an extreme and senseless offense that took place in public during a sporting event, resulting in significant injuries,” Judge Noman remarked. “The footage reveals his determination in striking and kicking the victim.”
In response to the incident, the Bankstown District Amateur Football Association has initiated a trial where referees will wear body cameras during senior men’s matches to improve safety.
