MAFS and Celebs Go Dating star breaks down in tears as her ex is murdered in tragic shooting
MARRIED At First Sight Australia star Jessika Power broke down in tears as she opened up about the death of her ex-boyfriend.
Sam Abdulrahim, a Mongols kickboxer known as ‘The Punisher’, was shot and killed in a car park in a daytime attack in Preston, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia on Tuesday morning.
He was just 34 years old and had already survived several attempts on his life, including seven shootings and a prison beating.
Jessika and Sam briefly dated shortly after her stint on the reality show in 2019.
While they ultimately chose to end the relationship, with Jessika citing her being uncomfortable with the ‘underground world’, the pair remained friends.
Speaking to Daily Mail about his death, Jessika struggled to speak as she said: “It’s been really, really hard to hear.
“We ended on really good terms. He’s always been supportive to me if I needed him, even up until a few months ago.
“I just feel so sad for his wife and his child – she’s going to grow up without a dad and it’s such a toxic world to be in that underworld thing.”
Despite his underworld connections, Jessika said Abdulrahim was a “great protector” and a “family man” who looked after those around him.
“He’s a dad, he’s a husband, he’s someone’s son and he’s just a really good guy.”
Daily Mail Australia said Abdulrahim was in hiding at the time of his death after multiple attempts made on his life.
Victoria Police said in a statement: ‘Emergency services were called to reports a man had been shot in a car park on High Street in Preston shortly after 10.30am on Tuesday, January 28.
‘The man, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene. Police have cordoned off the area and a crime scene is in place.
‘At this early stage, police believe the incident was targeted.’
It’s noted he had “made enemies over the years” including crime bosses in Australia and the Middle East.
In 2022, he was shot six times while attending his cousin’s funeral in Melbourne.
Two years later, the Aussie puncher won the WBC Australian cruiserweight championship – which was almost scuppered when the venue was firebombed.
He previously served two years of a three-years-and-three-months jail sentence after pleading guilty to the 2015 killing 88-year-old Muriel Hulett, a great-grandmother, in a high-speed car crash.