Woman Admits Lying About Car Crash After Withdrawing Parental Kidnap Claims
In a complex legal development, Rhonda Al-Fadhli has pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false statement to police regarding a car accident, following her earlier retraction of serious kidnapping allegations against her parents. The 21-year-old appeared before Bankstown Local Court where she admitted falsely claiming she was driving a vehicle involved in a collision at Condell Park.
Separate Incident from Dubbo Kidnapping Allegations
This latest admission is unrelated to the dramatic events that unfolded in Dubbo last year, where Ms Al-Fadhli had originally claimed her parents, Mohamed Al-Fadhli and Enam Hmeed, had kidnapped and assaulted her. Those allegations, which included claims of being chained and attacked with a garden hose after rejecting an arranged marriage, resulted in charges that could have carried 25-year prison sentences before being withdrawn in October.
The car accident occurred on March 30, approximately three weeks before the Dubbo incident. Multiple witnesses informed police that Ms Al-Fadhli was not driving the white BMW M5 sedan when it crashed into a retaining wall, despite her initial claims to the contrary. According to tendered facts, evidence clearly demonstrated it would have been impossible for her to have been the driver at the time of the collision.
Pressure and Additional Legal Matters
When questioned about her false statement, Ms Al-Fadhli explained she felt pressured after her male companion pointed at her when police asked who was driving. "I just felt like I was under pressure because he just blamed it on me," she told the court. "Honestly, I was just shocked. I didn't think he'd just throw me under the bus."
Magistrate Elaine Truscott acknowledged the seriousness of the offence but accepted Ms Al-Fadhli had felt under pressure, placing her on a two-year conditional release order without conviction. The court also addressed a separate drug charge for which Ms Al-Fadhli had been convicted in absentia on January 15 for possessing 12g of cannabis in Villawood.
Ms Al-Fadhli maintained she was unaware of the court date and did not smoke or use drugs, claiming the cannabis was placed under the seat of a car she was driving that wasn't hers. She now intends to attempt to have the finding of guilt on the drug charge overturned.
Background of Withdrawn Kidnapping Allegations
The original kidnapping case stemmed from allegations made in April last year when police found Ms Al-Fadhli in her parents' Dubbo convenience store with a metal chain padlocked around her neck. Her parents were arrested and charged with:
- One count of kidnapping
- One count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm
Police alleged the incident occurred after Ms Al-Fadhli's parents discovered she was still in contact with her boyfriend Mohamad Ebady, who had asked for permission to marry her. The parents allegedly wanted her to marry a first cousin instead.
In a dramatic turn, Ms Al-Fadhli retracted her allegations last July, telling police she had invented the story as part of what she described as an "evil" revenge plot because her parents didn't accept her relationship. She allegedly detailed how she had harmed herself and staged evidence to support her claims.
Outcome and Ongoing Proceedings
All charges against Ms Al-Fadhli's parents were withdrawn in October last year after her retraction. Outside court following her recent guilty plea, Ms Al-Fadhli acknowledged withdrawing what she called "a very serious complaint" but declined to discuss the case further.
In related developments, Mohamad Ebady was sentenced in November 2023 to an 18-month intensive correction order after pleading guilty to drug importation offences. He is currently subject to an interim apprehended violence order taken out by police to protect Ms Al-Fadhli, with that matter yet to be heard.
The case highlights the complex interplay between family dynamics, relationship conflicts, and legal consequences, with multiple layers of allegations and retractions creating a challenging legal narrative for all parties involved.
