The son of a convicted Australian terrorist leader has admitted he was involved in bashing and robbing a man, with his lawyer arguing it was “about catching pedophiles”.
Ibrahim Benbrika, 26, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday for what was expected to be the beginning of a two-day hearing to determine if his case should be sent to a higher court.
Instead, the court was told, the cases against Benbrika and his two co-offenders Michel El-Chikhani, 24, and Oways Afaneh, 24, had resolved.
Lawyers for each of the three men told magistrate James FitzGerald they would plead guilty to charges including robbery, common assault and possession of a controlled weapon.
Outlining the Crown’s case, prosecutor Michael Roper said a 43-year-old man, unknown to the three men, began communicating with a Facebook profile named “Holly” in September 2024.
He told the court the man and “Holly” engaged in multiple conversations about “exchanging sex for money” before planning to meet at a nature reserve in Melbourne on January 24 last year.
Mr Roper said the man arrived about 11pm and was instead met by Benbrika, El-Chikhani and Afaneh wearing all black clothing and balaclavas.
He was knocked to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked by the three men who demanded his phone and money.
During the incident, Benbrika was filmed tapping a sheathed knife to the man’s head and El-Chikhani later held a hunting knife to the man’s throat.
The court was told Benbrika dragged the man in a headlock back to his car, where El-Chikhani used the man’s phone to bank transfer $250.
Two phones, identity cards and a battery pack were also stolen.
“This was a planned luring of a victim to a place that they’re alone at night,” Mr Roper said.
“They are confronted by three armed men and terrorised.”
The trio left, Mr Roper said, and the man was transported to hospital after flagging down a motorist for help.
The prosecutor said Snapchat videos of parts of the incident were later found on Afaneh and Benbrika’s phones.
Another video, the court was told, captured the trio sitting around a kitchen table saying; “is it true you project your own insecurities on pedophiles and is it true you catch pedophiles”.
Addressing the court Benbrika’s lawyer Veronika Drago said this comment provided context about the events.
She said it was not in Mr Roper’s summary but the Facebook account of Holly noted her as a “minor”.
Ms Drago argued the comment “about catching pedophiles” indicated the offending was more nuanced than it may have seemed at first blush.
“These are three young and very foolish men,” she said.
Despite opposition from the prosecution, Mr FitzGerald ruled the case should stay in the Magistrates’ Court jurisdiction rather than being sent to the County Court for a plea hearing.
Mr FitzGerald said he was unable to find on the evidence before him whether the trio had planned this incident for three months or become aware of the “rendezvous” closer to the attack.
“I could be satisfied they must have known about the arrangement,” he said.
But he said the offending represented a “very aggressive attack on a person in the middle of the night” that must have been terrifying for the victim.
Benbrika, El-Chikhani and Afaneh will return to court on Wednesday for a pre-sentence hearing.
Benbrika is one of seven children born to convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika, who was jailed for 15 years in 2009 after leading a terror group planning attacks in Australia or overseas.
He completed his sentence in November 2020 and was held in custody on continuing detention orders until he was released in late 2023.
Ms Drago told the court the “notoriety attached to his father’s name” had impacted every aspect of her client’s life, from schoolyard taunts to now being held in a protective custody unit.
