2 days ago
House where Fadi Ibrahim was shot returns to the market
One of the nation's leading endocrine surgeons is selling Castle Cove's most infamous house – the former home of Sydney identity Fadi Ibrahim – who survived a shooting outside the property back in 2009.
Clinical professor Dr Mark Sywak specialises in minimal invasive surgery for thyroid and adrenal glands and is recognised as a world leader.
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He purchased the luxury Castle Cove home on Sydney's affluent North Shore in 2016 paying $4.31m and now after raising his family he and his wife Alex are letting it go and moving closer to the ocean.
'We knew who owned the house and we found them to be a wonderful normal couple,' Dr Sywak said.
'We also thought they had quite good taste,' he added.
SHOT IN HIS Lamborghini
Fadi Ibrahim is one of the Ibrahim brothers now based in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
His brother John is a former nightclub owner and author who is the subject of the television series The Last King Of The Cross which follows the fortunes of John and his brother Sam.
In 2006 Fadi built a substantial five-bedroom home in the sedate leafy suburb of Castle Cove choosing a large corner block opposite the golf course and tennis courts and paying $1.05m for the site.
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Three years later he was shot through an open window while he and his girlfriend were sitting outside the house in their Lamborghini car.
Mr Ibrahim was gunned down and shot five times which left him in a coma for several weeks.
His girlfriend at the time and now wife, Shayda Ibrahim, who was also in the car, was shot in the thigh. No one has been charged over the shooting.
Police later charged the couple, along with Mr Ibrahim's younger brother Michael and others for conspiring to kill family rival John Macris after mistakenly believing he was behind the shooting of Fadi, but the charges were later dropped.
Fadi spared no expense in a rebuild dedicating a whole top floor to a retreat with a 10.7m long bedroom, a vast ensuite with black marble double spa bath, three vanities, two showers and two toilets.
And the walk-in wardrobe off the bedroom is huge – bigger than any of the four other bedrooms. Plus the bedroom has its own deep east-facing balcony and media hub.
The Sywaks also love the secret door from the main lounge to the whole floor parents retreat.
'We moved in with four children and there is lots of space for them to have their friends while we retreat upstairs,' he said.
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The house is built like a bunker, covers 485 sqm of floor space and has two large living rooms, a renovated main stone kitchen, a second kitchen next to the double garage – ideal for large scale food storage – a wine cellar with tasting room and four bathrooms.
Outside there are two entertaining terraces, both with barbecues, one beside the swimming pool and one just outside the main living room with stackable doors opening right up to the northern sun.
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Solar panels have been added to the roof for sustainability and the property has excellent security and storage.
Agent Stefon Bertram, of Pello Lower North Shore, said the workmanship in the Neerim Rd house is second to none with joinery alone costing $1m.
'It is also close to the shops and village, very private and very practical,' he said.
Number 3 Neerim Rd goes to auction on Saturday September 6 and although a guide has yet to be set, bidding in the early $6ms is expected.
