Protection for Oxford Street gays

IT'S official - Sydney's famous Oxford Street is a homophobia-free zone.

City of Sydney council has declared the Oxford Street neighbourhood and other recognised gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender precincts free of homophobic abuse. The notion was put forward by Councillor Phillip Black this month.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore has made a pledge to collaborate with police, businesses, gay rights organisations and the community to implement the homophobic-free zone, which includes Oxford Street and parts of Darlinghurst, King Street, Newtown, and Erskineville Road, Erskineville.

"Homophobic abuse is often a precursor to violence," Cr Moore told Government News. "While all areas of NSW are technically homophobia-free zones, this strategy recognises the importance and strength of the GLBT community in our city."

Man with child porn images jailed

A man found with thousands of child porn images, including some involving infants, was labelled callous and inhuman by a Sydney judge who sentenced him to six years in prison.

Nigel Keith Saddler pleaded guilty earlier this year to possessing 35,508 images and 680 movie files of "the most disturbing and depraved kind", NSW District Court Judge Peter Berman said.

Saddler, 34, was arrested on July 22 last year outside St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney's inner-city suburb of Darlinghurst.

A search of his vehicle revealed a small quantity of cannabis and an external computer hard drive containing thousands of child pornography images.

The following day, police executed a search warrant at Saddler's home in Darlington, in inner Sydney, seizing more computer hardware, CDs and DVDs used to store similar material.

The graphic images featured children aged from 15 years to just months old.

Many of the images were of adults sexually abusing and mutilating children, but some showed children being forced to perform sex acts on each other and animals.

"Even if the offender spent only 10 seconds viewing each image, it would have taken him about 100 hours of continuous viewing to get through everything he had," Justice Berman told the court.

"The callousness and inhumanity of a person who could get pleasure out of viewing such images is beyond comprehension."

Judge Berman said viewing child pornography could escalate into abuse of children.

"I am not suggesting that that has happened in this case, but I am suggesting that it is one of the many reasons which makes the possession of child pornography such a serious offence," he said.

Saddler came from a respected family and had benefited from a "very good upbringing", Judge Berman said, noting that he had been jailed for other offences, including sexual assault.

Saddler pleaded guilty to the three counts of possession, relating to images on the three computer devices found in his car and home.

Each count carries a maximum jail term of five years.

Judge Berman said the six-year sentence he handed down, with a non-parole period of four years and six months, took into account Saddler's guilty plea.

But, he said, the maximum penalty for the charges was "inadequate" since people found with child pornography did not face a charge in relation to each image in their possession.

"However, that is not a matter which can influence me in my determination of the appropriate sentences for these matters," Judge Berman said.

"It is not for me to overcome what I consider to be the inadequacy of the maximum penalty by failing to apply proper sentencing principles."

Saddler has remained in custody since his arrest, which makes him eligible for parole on January 21, 2012.

Jail for Fat Pizza brother's killing

George Nassour centre...also stabbed arrives at court today

A man involved in the killing of the brother of Fat Pizza actor George Nassour will serve at least six-and-a-half years in prison for the incident, sparked by a misunderstood rude gesture.

The disagreement between the Nassour brothers and Michael Ibrahim and three other men started on New Year's Eve 2005 at the UN nightclub on Oxford Street.

Friends of Robin and George Nassour had not been allowed access to the nightclub, owned by Ibrahim's family and at which he was a spotter.

Later that evening Robin Nassour drove past the club making a rude gesture at his brother George, who was standing outside the club. But Michael Ibrahim thought the gesture was aimed at him, the Supreme Court has heard.

A day later the Nassour brothers were called to a meeting by a friend of Ibrahim, allegedly to sort out their conflict.

They met at an apartment building in Chiswick, where they were lured into an underground car park.

When George Nassour saw Ibrahim, and the three other men, he shouted to his brother: "This is a set up."

Soon afterwards he was stabbed, but managed to run away.

He then saw the four men surround Robin and kick and punch him. One of the other men, who carried a knife, stabbed him twice, severing an artery in his leg.

Supreme Court Justice Derek Price found that while the men had planned to assault Robin Nassour and inflict physical harm on him, Ibrahim and two co-accused, Mouhamed and Sleiman Tajjour, were not aware that the fourth man was carrying a knife.

It was only when the man - who has since died - stabbed George Nassour, that they became aware of the knife.

But, said Justice Price, they had still gone ahead with the assault on his brother, aware that the knife might again be used. This made them liable to a conviction for manslaughter, to which they have pleaded guilty.

"To participate in a joint act of violence in these circumstances carries with it... a very significant degree of criminality," Justice Price said.

Ibrahim, who had prior convictions for assault, drug and fire arm possession, was sentenced to a maximum sentence of nine years and four months, but is eligible for parole in March 2013.

Outside court Emilia Nassour, Robin's mother, who was sobbing throughout the sentencing remarks, said the sentence was fair and justice had been done.

The Tajjour brothers are to be sentenced at a later date.

Quote: Amazingly this story has nothing to do with drugs? I wonder if it is because the brother was an entertainer? If they wanted to settle a misunderstanding about a rude gesture then why not just do it on the phone or in a public place?

Maybe the mother was satisfied with the outcome because no 'drugs' were mentioned? Ibrahim it stated has a prior conviction for assault, 'drug', and fire arm possesion. People at night clubs take drugs. So what were the police investigating and what questions did the judge ask all the way through the trial? Were they covering up for entertainment?