Major blow for amateur boxer Adam Abdallah who broke soccer ref's jaw
Adam Abdallah, 26, attacked soccer referee Khodr Yaghi following a match at Padstow Oval in southwestern Sydney in April 2023.
Mr Yaghi was left with a broken jaw and four missing teeth after Abdallah landed multiple blows to his face and kicked him in the head during the attack.
Video of the attack was widely shared on social media in the aftermath.
The amateur boxer initially pleaded not guilty to reckless grievous bodily harm and was granted bail in May 2023 after an extended version of the viral video appeared to show he'd been attacked first.
He later changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to two years and three months behind bars in February with a non-parole period of one year and two months.
He will be eligible for parole in March 2026.
Abdallah applied to appeal his sentence, with his defence lawyer Thomas Woods telling the Court of Criminal Appeal in May that his client was seeking an intensive corrections order that would allow him to serve time in the community as opposed to in jail.
The Grounds of Appeal argued the sentencing judge had erred by finding Mr Yaghi's 'provocative conduct' didn't significantly mitigate Abdallah's conduct, and also by failing to address a submission to reduce the penalty following his guilty plea.
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