Over four years' jail for repeated abuse inflicted against woman on South Coast

A woman says she will not allow a man to “break” her, after he repeatedly inflicted violence and intimidation tactics against her over several days.

Ahmad Kassouh, a 55-year-old from Batemans Bay, was sentenced to a total of four-and-a-half years’ jail by the NSW District Court on Friday (20 September).

He had known the woman for some years and they lived in different towns on the NSW South Coast, Judge Andrew Haseler SC said.

Over the night of 19 January 2022, he began abusing and scaring her, before he pushed her, punched her in the face and nearly choked her unconscious.

“The force of the attack left marks and terrified her. She was not to know if this was to be her last moment,” Judge Haesler said.

Kassouh then drove the woman to a nearby bank where he made her withdraw cash from an ATM and give him some of it before pulling her back to the car by her hair.

“When she was at the ATM, she made a sign to the camera indicating she was there under duress,” Judge Haesler said.

A couple of days later, he hit her on her thigh with a walking cane, causing a large bruise.

Then when he was driving her in a car, he deliberately swerved towards oncoming vehicles and the guardrail as if to crash.

Judge Haesler said the “very dangerous driving” put the woman and other road users at risk.

Kassouh later went to her home, forced his way inside, then chased her to a bedroom and took her phone.

The woman got into a friend’s car to escape him. But as they drove away, Kassouh drove his own car very close behind them a number of times in an intimidatory manner.

“While the risk of injury from a motor vehicle collision was low, the psychological impact of this offending, in context, was high,” Judge Haesler said.

The friend called triple zero and police met the woman in a chemist where she had sought refuge.

In March 2024, a jury found Kassouh guilty of six charges after a trial at the Bega District Court, although he was acquitted of three others.

Jurors found him guilty of choking, assault, detaining, intimidation, breaking and entering, and using an offensive instrument-related charges. Judge Haesler also found him guilty of another charge of assault.

He said when the allegations were put to Kassouh by police, he gave an exculpatory account.

“Obviously, the jury rejected his version of events,” the judge said.

The woman told the court about the long journey she was undertaking to try to heal from the damage caused by Kassouh’s actions.

“I will not allow you to break me or have power [over] me moving forward,” she said.

Kassouh has a lengthy criminal history and has an acquired severe traumatic brain injury from a serious car accident in 1990, after which he has received the disability support pension.

Judge Haesler said a court report indicated he had no insight, as he denied any offending and blamed the woman for making “malicious complaints”.

He was handed a non-parole period of two years and eight months’ jail.

As this was backdated to account for time served, it means he will be eligible to be released from custody in April 2026.