Murder charges dropped for brothers over bikie shooting

A senior Comanchero bikie and his brother will face sentencing over their roles in the 2014 gangland shooting of Youssef Assoum but will escape allegations of murder.

Motorcycle gang member Tarek Zahed, 43, and his younger brother Abdul Kahir Zahed, 39, were originally due to face trial on Tuesday charged with the murder of Mr Assoum.

However, crown prosecutors presented a fresh indictment to the NSW Supreme Court without the offence of murder but with lesser charges against the pair.

Tarek Zahed has pleaded guilty to hindering the discovery of evidence while Adbul Zahed has pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact of murder.

Mr Assoum died in hospital aged 24 after being stabbed in the head and shot in the thigh in the Sydney suburb of Bankstown in December 2014.

He was tied up and detained in his Volkswagen Touareg when the violent assault occurred.

Staff at Bankstown Hospital found Mr Assoum unconscious on the roadside with Adbul Tarek.

They attempted treatment before Mr Assoum was transferred to Liverpool Hospital where he died. 

Tarek Zahed survived an attempt on his own life in 2022, being shot 10 times as he left an Auburn gym alongside one of his younger brothers.

According to agreed facts filed with the court, Tarek Zahed was involved in the attempted disposal of the VW that Mr Assoum was murdered in.

After unsuccessfully trying to get it disposed of in a wrecking yard, Tarek Zahed paid Triantafilos Vlangos to get rid of the vehicle by "blowing it up".

Vlangos allegedly tried to set the car on fire with accelerant and was arrested after police spotted the vehicle ablaze in Georges Hall in Sydney's southwest.

He has not been convicted over his role in the murder plot and no criminal findings have been made against him.

Adbul Tarek has admitted giving false evidence to police saying that the unconscious Mr Assoum lying on the roadside was his "brother".

"They just came out and the left us here. I was screaming. Wake up, wake up," he told officers at the time. 

Abdul Tarek also gave false evidence to a parole officer saying he had been hit on the head when his "distant cousin" had been attacked.

The brothers will face a sentence hearing on March 1.

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store