Bondi Beach terror attack hero pleads not guilty to assaulting his father

A Sydney man who rose to global fame for disarming a gunman in last year’s terror attack targeting a Jewish event at Bondi Beach pleads not guilty to assaulting his father.

Ahmed al Ahmed, a fruit seller, was hailed as a hero when viral video footage showed him intervening in the December 14 attack in which 15 people were killed. The 44-year-old ducked between parked cars as the shooting unfolded, grabbing one of the two gunmen and wresting away his weapon in an effort to stop the killing.

Facing court in the Sydney suburb of Bankstown, Ahmed denies charges of common assault and domestic stalking or intimidation, according to court documents provided to AFP.

The next court hearing is set for August 12.

“It has been very difficult. It is a family situation that he never expected, one would never want to expect, and it must be very difficult for him,” his lawyer Mohamad Sakr tells journalists outside court.

“There is one thing that must be upheld and that is the presumption of innocence. He is a heroic man and his honesty and dignity should be maintained until these matters are determined.”

Ahmed, who sustained gunshot wounds at Bondi Beach, later met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

A fundraiser set up for him raised over $1 million.

Last month, his two brothers faced court in Sydney over allegations they had attempted to pressure Ahmed into handing over some of that money, local media said.