A window manufacturer boss has been fined $60,000 after allegedly pushing a worker while he was hanging upside down from a crane at a work Christmas party.
Steve Yousif, the owner of Jaden Commercial Windows, was handed the heavy fine after being sentenced at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Yousif was seen in a video punching and poking worker Ilyas Elkharraz as he was hanged from the roof of a warehouse in December 2020.
Footage of the incident was shown in court in November and showed the 27-year-old repeatedly punching a shirtless Elkharraz after tying his legs to the crane.
Steve Yousif (pictured left) was fined $60,000 for repeatedly punching and poking a former employee while hanging from the ceiling in his company's warehouse
Others were heard laughing in the background as the dangerous stunt was performed and the video was later shared on social media.
Magistrate Andrew Sim yesterday condemned Yousif's conduct during his sentencing.
He described the act as a “targeted… campaign of terror against two vulnerable workers.”
Yousif was not physically present at his sentencing, but instead appeared via video link.
Mr Elkharraz, who was 23 at the time, quit his job at the window manufacturing company and started a business with Victoria's safety watchdog WorkSafe.
He told A current issue in 2021 that he felt “like a piece of meat” when his former boss started beating him.
“It gave me nightmares,” Elkharraz said. “It's like I'm a cow hanging upside down.”
Magistrate Sim said Yousif tormented Elkharraz for a period of more than two years and prevented him from attending TAFE.
For example, he said Yousif had belittled him by “grabbing him by the neck” before pushing him to the ground.
The dangerous stunt was filmed with Elkharraz (pictured center) hanging from a crane as others watched
Yousif (pictured center) also allegedly threatened Elkharraz several times over a two-year period and even denied the employee access to his TAFE classes
Another employee claimed Yousif threatened to fire him, intimidated him and swore at him.
“You victimized, humiliated and threatened both victims,” Magistrate Sim said.
Yousif's company previously traded as Melbourne Glass Solutions, but the company ceased operations following the WorkSafe investigation.
Yousif's lawyer Joseph D'Abaco previously claimed that his client had suffered enough from the consequences of media reports.
Mr D'Abaco said Yousif's business would suffer if his client was convicted of the crime.
“There is a real risk if the court convicts Mr Yous if this would affect JADEN's ability to successfully tender for certain projects,” he said.
Magistrate Sim said he was not convinced Yousif was genuinely remorseful and fined him $60,000 with conviction and ordered him to pay WorkSafe's legal costs of $6,000.