Video thrown out of Bankstown nurses case

A viral video in which two Sydney nurses allegedly threatened Israeli patients has been thrown out of court ahead of a bombshell trial this year, a judge has ruled.

Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 27, and Ahmad Rashad Nadir, 28, made international headlines last February after a video of the pair spread online in which they allegedly threatened violence against Israeli patients at Bankstown Hospital, in Sydney’s west.

On Tuesday, Judge Michael McHugh ruled the video be excluded from trial following a two-day hearing earlier this month where a court argued whether it was taken without the consent of the nurses.

“Ultimately, I have come to the firm view that all the video evidence must be excluded from each of the trials of the applicants,” he said.

In the two-and-a-half minute video, the nurses allegedly threatened violence against Israelis who came to the hospital.

In NSW, it is illegal to record a “private conversation” or activity without the consent of the parties involved, and carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.

Ms Abu Lebdeh has pleaded not guilty to using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend and threaten violence to a group.

Mr Nadir has pleaded not guilty to using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend.

The pair remain on bail.

The video attracted criticism at the time, and made international headlines.

The pair, who have both been stood down from their jobs by NSW Health, have also been hit with a two-year ban from working with NDIS participants.