Police have issued an arrest warrant for 44-year-old Trent Constantine for an alleged intimidation offence. Photo / Supplied
Police have issued an arrest warrant for 44-year-old Trent Constantine for an alleged intimidation offence. Photo / Supplied
A racist neighbour drank pig's blood and brandished a knife in front of a migrant family after branding them "putrid dogs" in a sickening campaign of abuse.
Syed and Shilebeth migrated to Australia in hopes of a better life almost 20 years ago, buying their "dream home" in Lalor Parkin Sydney's western suburbs.
The couple told A Current Affair they had experienced all of life's "ups and downs" together in their new home, which they bought with their hard-earned savings after meeting in their "college days".
However, their dreams in Sydney turned into a nightmare when they met neighbour Trent Constantine.
"One Saturday he was just smashing the fence and I said, 'Trent' – his name Trent – and I said, 'Why are you smashing the fence?' " Syed told the show. "He said, 'This is none of your business.' I said, 'No this is our shared fence, you shouldn't be smashing this fence,' and he didn't stop it."
The couple have been forced to sell the land. Photo / Supplied
In mid-January, Shilebeth filmed another run-in with Constantine.
In the confronting video, Constantine said: "Go back to where you belong."
Shilebeth accused him of being a racist, to which he replied: "No I'm not racist, I'm purist. You don't belong here; go back to your country. You illegal f***ing immigrant."
The footage then shows Constantine arming himself with a knife and drinking pig's blood in front of her.
"It's all good, in our country it's tradition to lick the pork blood," Constantine said.
"What's wrong with you?" Shilebeth asked.
Constantine says in the video he does not like people who "do not belong in this country".
"F**k off on your boat and go home to where you belong, because it's not your country," Constantine said.
Shilebeth said pork was used because of Syed's Muslim faith.
Police were called following the confrontation and Shilebeth went with officers to the station to make a statement – but while she was there and her husband was at work she got a call from a neighbour to say her house was on fire.
Syed and Shilebeth didn't have home insurance telling ACA they couldn't afford it anymore.
Almost all of their belongings, including items for Shilebeth's photography business, were destroyed, forcing them to sell the land and move on.
Police have not yet charged anyone over the suspected firebombing on January 16, but say they are looking for a suspected arsonist.
Constantine's mother said her son was not home when approached by ACA .
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Syed and Shilebeth get back on their feet.
The page is aiming to raise $200,000.
Tactical police have swarmed a property in Sydney's west in the hunt for a suspected arsonist. Officers were called to the Lalor Park house and a roaring blaze thought to be the result of a firebombing. https://t.co/OF81oZXOfr#LalorPark#7NEWSpic.twitter.com/0wWzE4WCRC
Police have now also issued an arrest warrant for 44-year-old Constantine for an alleged intimidation offence.
"Officers have conducted inquiries into his whereabouts however they have been unable to locate him," police said in a statement.
"He is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, between 175cm and 180cm tall, of solid build with shaved brown hair and brown eyes.
