Melbourne Casino Molotov Cocktail Accused was Sexual Harasser Court Hears

A Melbourne man who was kicked out of the Crown Casino for sexually harassing staff returned and threw a “Molotov cocktail” at an adjoining restaurant, an Australian court heard this week...

Thirty-nine-year-old Hussein Kassem was denied bail this week after Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard allegations that he had deliberately attacked the Bistro Guillaume restaurant, one of several high-end eateries at the Crown Casino complex.

Kassem, of Southbank, is said to have taken off his shirt, doused it in a bottle of Jack Daniels bourbon, set it alight and threw it at the restaurant at around 1am last Wednesday morning.

The resulting fire caused significant damage to the outdoor dining area, with an awning collapsing and awning collapsing and glass shattering.

Kassem was arrested shortly afterwards, and is believed to have also set a small fire in the toilets of a nearby hotel half an hour prior to his attack on the Bistro Guillaume.

He was later charged with reckless conduct endangering persons and two counts of arson.

The court also heard that Kassem had earlier been kicked out of the casino itself for inappropriate sexual behaviour towards staff, and police believe he has a personal vendetta against the Melbourne Crown Casino.

As the court denied him bail, Kassem is reported to have ranted during the hearing, as he was remanded in custody until January 18th, 2023.

The Crown Casino in Melbourne, home to the famous Aussie Millions poker tournament, has been in the headlines almost non-stop for several years now, with little of the news of the positive variety.

Stories ranging from high-roller money laundering, to the theft of a $500,000 McLaren sports car, to lawsuits brought by gambling addicts have all appeared in the media.

Under the wider Crown Resorts brand, the Crown Aspinalls London casino was found guilty of racial and sexual discrimination, and the same casino was recently sued for not cutting off a millionaire gambler’s line of credit.

The return of the Aussie Millions to the venue – last held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic – looks set to be pushed back to at least 2025 after government-mandated anti- money laundering reforms were recently put in place.