Fake Sydney abduction charge dismissed
A Sydney tutor accused of fabricating claims four Middle Eastern men tried to abduct her in broad daylight has had a charge against her dismissed on mental health grounds.
Aida Chehadeh, 30, called police on January 13 claiming four men had tried to grab her and force her into their car on a street in Liverpool in Sydney's west.
Chehadeh, who lives at Rockdale with her husband, later held a press conference with police and criticised members of the public for not intervening to help her.
According to facts tendered in court, police received information about who the men involved might have been but no witnesses came forward.
Police later viewed CCTV footage of the area where Chehadeh claimed the frightening encounter took place.
Investigators saw she smoked a cigarette for four minutes before walking off.
Chehadeh was shown the CCTV but said it was from a cigarette break before the attempted abduction, the facts state.
However, the footage was recorded five minutes before Liverpool police station broadcast a message across the police radio to look out for a red hatchback and the men allegedly involved in the abduction attempt.
The message went out after Chehadeh reported her story to police.
She was later told there was no evidence of her attempted abduction but there was evidence she provided a false statement.
She pleaded not guilty in March.
Liverpool Local Court Magistrate Roger Clisdell on Monday granted an application to have the charge dealt with under the mental health act.
Mr Clisdell dismissed the charge and discharged Chehadeh on condition she follow medical advice.
Much of the information police received after the story went public related to a COMFIT Chehadeh helped construct of one of her alleged abductors, facts state.
"Police hold concerns that males of similar appearance may be targeted, particularly by elements of society intolerant of the wider Middle Eastern community or Muslim community," the court documents state.
Afternoon news break – August 4
