A widow recounted the harrowing moment she witnessed her husband being shot multiple times in front of their home by a masked gunman. The incident occurred on June 27, 2022, at the underground car park of their apartment in Rhodes, Sydney. Yusuf Nazlioglu, 40, was shot at least eight times and succumbed to his injuries the following day.
During the ongoing murder trial, Jade Jeske, Yusuf’s widow, described the traumatic experience to the jury. She recalled seeing a figure, who had covered his head, running towards her husband with a pistol as he stood beside their car. In a panic, Jeske ducked under the dashboard, hearing a flurry of gunshots — a total of ten — before she emerged to find her husband lying on his back. Recognising the severity of his condition from the number of shots fired, she realised he would not survive.
Three men—Abdulrahman Atteya, 31, Mohammed Hosni Khaled, 27, and Mohammed Baltagi, 26—are facing murder charges, allegedly part of a conspiracy to assassinate Nazlioglu. They have each pleaded not guilty in the New South Wales Supreme Court. Atteya or Baltagi are believed to have been in the getaway vehicle, a VW Golf, with prosecutors suggesting either could have been the shooter. Khaled and Baltagi, although not at the scene, are accused of planning the crime.
Crown Prosecutor Eric Balodis suggested that a motive for the murder might relate to the theft of two luxury rented cars. Approximately ten days before the shooting, Nazlioglu and Jeske rented two high-end Mercedes-Benz vehicles, allegedly on the advice of a friend, as revenge against a woman at the rental company who had previously stolen a vehicle from him while he was imprisoned.
As the trial progressed, Jeske revealed that the rental car company had threatened her and her family concerning the unreturned vehicles, warning that the situation could escalate. She had allowed the company to photograph her driver’s licence, which included their home address, heightening her concern. The company’s threats led her to fear for her safety, particularly after discovering that tracking devices had been removed from the rented cars, one of which was later seen listed for sale online.
The chilling case highlights the complexities of criminal undertakings and the tragic violence that can ensue from feuds over seemingly material disputes.