Ahmed al Ahmed, the man who disarmed one of two gunmen during the December 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack that killed 15 people, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges of assault, stalking and intimidation in a Sydney court. The 44-year-old faced allegations of a March incident involving his father at a Bankstown home, according to proceedings detailed by ABC News and the BBC. His lawyer told reporters outside court that the case had proven very difficult for his client and represented a family situation he never expected.
NSW Police served al Ahmed with a court attendance notice for domestic violence-related common assault and stalking with intent to cause fear of physical harm after the alleged March 9 confrontation, SBS News reported. Al Ahmed has rejected the claims outright, telling Nine Radio he is not a violent person and had shown restraint even while tackling the terrorist at Bondi. He added in interviews that the allegations stemmed from a conflict with family members seeking portions of the donations raised after the shooting, a point echoed across multiple Australian outlets including 7News.
Video of al Ahmed wrestling a rifle from gunman Sajid Akram during the Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach gained worldwide attention and prompted a fundraiser that collected more than A$2.6 million for his recovery, according to figures cited by ABC News and SBS. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited him in hospital afterward and described him as the best of the country, while al Ahmed received keys to the cities of Canterbury-Bankstown and Waverley. The assault was declared a terrorist incident targeting the Jewish community and stands as Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since 1996, police assessments found.
Two of al Ahmed’s brothers, Hozifa al Ahmed and Sameh al Ahmed, who had moved to Australia following the attack and initially lived with him, face separate charges of using a carriage service to menace or harass after allegedly demanding A$100,000 each from the donated funds and issuing threats, court records show. They pleaded not guilty in Bankstown Local Court on May 20 and are due back on July 8, according to SBS reporting. Interim apprehended domestic violence orders were issued to protect al Ahmed from the pair last month.
Al Ahmed told ABC News the assault claims amounted to fake information and insisted he had never hurt anyone, referencing how he disarmed the gunman without causing injury during the December 14 attack. In a radio appearance, he broke down in tears while denying the accusations against his 63-year-old father Mohammed and expressed shock at the family breakdown, 7News footage captured. As he left court Wednesday he offered no comment when asked whether he believed his relatives were lying or if reconciliation remained possible, the BBC stated.
The matter is listed to return to Bankstown Local Court in August ahead of a full hearing scheduled for December, judicial officials confirmed. Al Ahmed, a Syrian-born tobacconist who sustained multiple arm wounds in the shooting, said his priority remains further surgeries and regaining mobility in his hand while focusing on his health. NSW Police have declined to release additional details beyond the charges and court dates.
