In a recent legal outcome in Sydney, an amateur boxer was sentenced to incarceration for assaulting a referee during a suburban soccer match nearly two years ago.
Adam Abdallah, a 26-year-old, admitted guilt to committing reckless grievous bodily harm following an incident caught on camera in April 2023. The altercation took place after a soccer match in Padstow, southwestern Sydney, where Abdallah attacked match official Khodr Yaghi.
The confrontation began with a verbal dispute, during which Yaghi lightly struck Abdallah with an assistant referee flag measuring 40 centimeters (16 inches). Despite the initial restraint shown by his companions who led him away, Abdallah returned to the scene, aggressively confronting Yaghi and knocking him to the ground.
As a result of the attack, Yaghi sustained significant injuries, including the loss of four teeth and two fractures to his jaw, necessitating hospitalization. Abdallah’s presence at the venue was already in violation as he was suspended by the league at that time.
During the sentencing at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court, Judge Nicole Noman acknowledged that Yaghi’s actions triggered the altercation but sharply criticized Abdallah for his “cowardly” attack consisting of multiple blows while the referee was defenseless and on the floor. Judge Noman remarked on the severity of the attack, highlighting its “extreme and senseless” nature in a public setting.
In response to the incident, the Bankstown District Amateur Football Association initiated the use of body cameras for referees during their senior men’s soccer matches, aiming to enhance protection and accountability on the field.
