Tarek Zahed: One-eyed 'Balenciaga bikie' kingpin set to walk free from jail ... trends now
Former bikie kingpin Tarek Zahed will be eligible for release as early as December over his role in the botched attempted destruction of evidence relating to the gangland killing of Youssef Assoum.
Just over 18 months since his dramatic arrest at the hands of heavily-armed police in Sydney's eastern suburbs, Zahed, 43, on Tuesday afternoon learned his fate after expressing his desire to turn his life around.
The former Comanchero national sergeant-at-arms was arrested when officers shot out the windows of his car with bean bag rounds in Edgecliff, in August 2022.
Zahed, once dubbed the 'Balenciaga bikie', was charged with murder and kidnapping, with police at the time alleging he was responsible for the 2014 murder of Youssef Assoum, 29.
Just over 18 months since his dramatic arrest at the hands of heavily-armed police in Sydney 's eastern suburbs, Zahed, 43, on Tuesday afternoon learned his fate after expressing his desire to turn his life around
But in a late twist on the eve of Zahed's trial last month, the murder charges were dropped as he and his brother Abdul struck a plea deal.
Tarek pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of hindering the discovery of evidence relating to the cleaning and ordering the destruction of a Mr Assoum's car.
Abdul Zahed pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to murder.
Zahed admitted cleaning the car in which Assoum was killed and directing it to be destroyed at a wrecking yard.
The court heard that in December 2014, Mr Assoum was violently assaulted inside his Volkswagen Touareg including being shot in his leg.
During the assault, restraints were placed on his ankles and wrists.
The court heard that Zahed in the following days asked another man to destroy the Touareg.
At the time, Zahed knew that Mr Assoum had been killed and suspected his brother Abdul was involved, the statement of agreed facts reveal.
'His motivation for taking these steps was a desire to protect his brother, an emotion that was perhaps understandable but hardly to be praised,' Justice Richard Button said during sentencing remarks on Tuesday afternoon.
On 12 December, 2014, Zahed told a man to remove blood from the seat, floor and dashboard and together they wiped down the car, court documents state.
Zahed then told the man to dispose of the car through a wrecking yard.
