Bondi Beach hero Ahmed al Ahmed pleads not guilty to assault charge

Ahmed Al Ahmed pleaded not guilty in Bankstown Local Court to domestic violence common assault and stalking or intimidation allegations involving his father, months after he was wounded while intervening in the Bondi Beach massacre. NSW Police served a Court Attendance Notice on June 3 on a 44-year-old man in connection with the March incident at a home in Bankstown, in Sydney’s south-west.

Al Ahmed’s name became known nationally after the December 14, 2025 attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, where 15 people were killed. Footage from the scene showed him grappling with Sajid Akram as he tried to wrestle a rifle away from the gunman. Al Ahmed was shot multiple times during the attack before he was pulled to safety, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese later described him as a hero.

A fundraiser created to support Al Ahmed’s recovery has raised $2.6 million, and he has said he still needs more operations on his arm to deal with injuries from the shooting.

Al Ahmed has denied the claims, saying they are false and that he is not a violent person. His lawyer has said he maintains his innocence and stressed the presumption of innocence. Mohammad Fadeh Al Ahmed, his father, told the ABC he hoped the matter would be resolved. Two of Al Ahmed’s brothers, Hozifa Al Ahmed and Sameh Al Ahmed, were later issued with interim apprehended domestic violence orders after allegedly threatening him by phone.

Australia established the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on January 9, 2026, in response to the assault, with an interim report tabled on April 30 and a final report due on December 14, 2026.