A single mother whose beauty salon was allegedly targeted in three separate firebomb attacks says she has been left too traumatised to work, with her once-thriving business forced into liquidation.

Sheryne El-Kak, 33, opened her beauty clinic in Burwood in Sydney‘s west in 2023, and was full of hope for its success. 

The first alleged arson attack took place at her salon, called Sheryne Skin, at about 5am on June 13 when two men gained entry.

CCTV captured one man allegedly dousing the interior with accelerant while dressed in a hooded jumper, black pants and checkered flannelette shirt.

Another clip showed one of the men slipping and accidentally setting himself alight.

The shop sustained minor damage, NSW Police said, and no injuries were reported. 

The salon was targeted again weeks later on July 2 when a group of three men arrived in an allegedly stolen Subaru at about 11.30pm.

The men allegedly broke into the salon and poured an accelerant from a yellow jerry can throughout the clinic, but it failed to ignite and they fled in the SUV.

After the second attack Ms El-Kak was forced to hire a full-time security guard, but the men still returned.

On July 5, two men in orange high-visibility clothing allegedly used axes to try and break in but were scared off when they realised Ms El-Kak was there with security.

‘I don’t have enemies. I’ve never been involved with any criminals,’ Ms El-Kak told the Daily Mail. 

‘I’m straighty-one-eighty, I don’t know why anyone would come after me.

‘After the third attack I was too scared to return to work, as were my staff members.

‘I couldn’t pay the rent and the business went into bankruptcy.’

She said she now lives like a recluse, and survives on Centrelink payments to provide for her young family. 

‘Some days I can’t get out of bed. I don’t have family to fall back on. But I won’t let what’s happened dictate my future,’ she said.

The ordeal has pushed her in an unexpected new direction – studying law at the University of New England.

‘I want to be a voice for people in similar positions,’she said. 

‘I’d like to specialise in family law or work as an independent children’s lawyer.’

Bassam Charrouf, 42, and Ayman Kalaoun, 43, were arrested in August over the three alleged arson attacks. 

The pair were arrested at their respective homes with police seizing clothing from Charrouf’s home which they alleged was the same clothing he wore during the salon incidents.

He was charged with aggravated break and enter commit a serious indictable offence and aggravated break and enter with intention in company-not steal.

He was refused bail at Liverpool Court and is due to return to court at Burwood on October 1.

Police facts state he was serving parole for the aggravated break and enter until October 16, 2028.

Kalaoun was charged with aggravated break and enter to commit a serious indictable offence.

He was refused bail and faced Bankstown Court, where he was again formally refused bail, to face Burwood Court on October 8.