Australia, Wife of Nomad biker avoids witness box

OFF THE WIRE
AAP
The wife of former bikie boss Hassan "Sam" Ibrahim won't have to give evidence against her husband after a Sydney court heard she's caring for an ill family member.
Ibrahim, 44, once linked to the Nomads gang and brother to Sydney nightclub identity John Ibrahim, is charged with kidnapping a teenage boy on April 1 last year.
His wife, Karen Ibrahim, was subpoenaed to appear at Sydney's Central Local Court on Tuesday to give evidence at her husband's committal hearing.
Advertisement: Story continues below But prosecutor Ian Davidson said she was on the NSW north coast caring for an "ill relative". He did not seek a warrant for her arrest but asked that the matter be adjourned so she could give evidence at a later time.
Magistrate John Andrews refused to allow an adjournment.
"The witness is a person who was present at a location when the young person who gave evidence yesterday was brought to that premises and questions were asked of her ... (yet) you didn't seek a warrant (for her arrest)," he told the prosecutor.
Ibrahim's lawyer, Brett Galloway, questioned the relevance of Mrs Ibrahim's evidence.
"What element of the crown case does Mrs Ibrahim advance?" he asked the court.
In the boy's police interview, recorded in May last year, he said he got off a bus at Merrylands in Sydney's west at 7.30pm when a driver pulled up and "thought I broke into this house".
The driver then punched the teenager in the mouth before driving him to a park where they were allegedly met by two men, including the accused.
The pair allegedly escorted him to a house where Mrs Ibrahim was questioned about the boy's identity. Police allege Ibrahim showed his wife the then 15-year-old, asking "is this the guy" and she replied "no".
The teen was then allegedly released and given $100 cash not to go to police.
Ibrahim faces a charge of detaining the boy to obtain advantage, during which he suffered actual bodily harm.
Magistrate Andrews is due to decide on November 22 if Ibrahim will be committed for trial.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/wife-of-nomad-bikie-avoids-witness-box-20101116-17vq2.html