Bondi Beach hero pleads not guilty to alleged assault on his father

Ahmed al Ahmed, 44, appeared before Bankstown Local Court in Sydney to face charges of assault as well as stalking and intimidation over an incident in March.

Outside court, Ahmed's lawyer described the case as "very difficult" for his client, calling it a "family situation he never expected."

Ahmed was celebrated for his actions on December 14, when he jumped on Sajid Akram from behind as the gunman opened fire on a crowd at a Jewish event. Ahmed wrestled a long-arm gun from the attacker and was shot several times in the arm. A second alleged gunman was arrested. The attack was Australia's deadliest mass shooting since 1996, and police declared it a terrorist incident targeting the Jewish community.

Video of Ahmed's heroics gained international attention, prompting a fundraiser that raised over A$2.5m (£1.24m; $1.7m) for him.

After being charged earlier this month, Ahmed told local media the assault claims were "not true at all." In a separate case, two of Ahmed's brothers have been charged with threatening him and attempting to extort some of the donations he received. Hozifa al Ahmed and Sameh al Ahmed moved to Australia after the shooting and lived with Ahmed, but their relationship soured. They allegedly threatened to harm Ahmed unless he gave each of them $100,000.

Leaving court on Wednesday, Ahmed replied "no comment" when asked if his family was lying and whether he could reconcile with his father and brothers.

In the days after the Bondi Beach attack, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Ahmed in hospital, calling him "the best of our country." In a TV interview, Ahmed, who was born and raised in Syria, described tackling the gunman, saying he wanted to stop innocent people from being killed and that "my soul was asking me to do that."

The case is due back in court in August, with a hearing scheduled for December.