Bankstown nurses to challenge video’s admissibility

Two Bankstown nurses accused of threatening violence against Israeli patients have pleaded not guilty and will go to trial in August, with the admissibility of a viral video expected to be a key part of their defence.

Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 27, and Ahmad Rashad Nadir, 28, appeared in the NSW District Court on Monday for the first time after their matters were moved up from the lower-level local court.

During the arraignment, the pair were read out their charges and both said “not guilty” when Judge Stephen Hanley asked them how they responded.

Abu Lebdeh was charged with threatening violence to a group and using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend. Nadir was also charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend and possessing a prohibited drug.

The drugs charge relates to a vial of morphine police allegedly found in his locker at Bankstown Hospital and will continue to be dealt with in the local court.

Footage of an online chat between the nurses and Israeli influencer Max Veifer, in which the pair allegedly threatened Israeli patients and bragged about refusing to treat them, went viral in February last year.

“You have no idea how many Israeli s**t dogs have come to this hospital, and I sent them to hell,” Nadir told Veifer.

Abu Lebdeh added: “I won’t treat them, I’ll kill them.”

After the recording made international headlines, the pair were stood down from their jobs by NSW Health and banned from working as nurses anywhere in the country for two years.

Outside court, Nadir’s lawyer Zemarai Khatiz confirmed the admissibility of the video will be a key part of his client’s defence, but would not elaborate on how he would argue consent was not given on the online platform.

The district court trial was set for August 31 and is expected to run for five days.

A hearing to consider pre-trial arguments will take place on June 1. Both nurses were ordered to file their defences by May 1 and remain on bail.