The life and times of Salim Mehajer

The life and times of Salim Mehajer

SALIM Mehajer is spending winter in the Snowy Mountains: not in a luxury ski resort but in a cell in NSW’s coldest prison.

Mehajer has been moved to Cooma Correctional Centre, the former 19th century mental institution and current prison where Roxy Jacenko’s husband Oliver Curtis served his year-long sentence for insider trading.

The former Auburn deputy mayor is now in the jail typically used to house crooked police, paedophile priests and high-profile inmates who require protection from other inmates.

Dressed in black trousers, black collared shirt and a cream sweater, Mehajer sat in a blue audio visual booth at Cooma jail as he was beamed into a court hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre today.

He smiled as he heard Crown prosecutor Michael Reville speak and flashed a grin at the sitting judge.

But in the very short hearing that ensued, Mehajer — who represented himself — began arguing with District Court Judge David Frearson.

Mehajer told the judge he wouldn’t be able to appear at a hearing next January because he would be “on vacation”; this is despite the fact he is serving an minimum 11-month sentence imposed in June for unrelated election fraud.

A terse exchange ensued between the imprisoned property developer and Judge Frearson after His Honour threatened to lengthen Mehajer’s sentence.

Mehajer was listed today to appeal the severity of a three-year good behaviour bond for assaulting a taxi driver, in a bid to have his sentence reduced.

But Judge Frearson told Mehajer he found his behaviour “reprehensible and disgusting” and proposed to increase his sentence.

“I thought I would give you more,” Judge Frearson told an astonished Mehajer.

“I thought you were dealt with very leniently.”

Mehajer then began to argue about case facts with the judge.

Earlier this year, Mehajer pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and destroying the iPhone 7 of a woman who filmed him outside Sydney’s Star casino.

In April last year, Mehajer threw an EFTPOS machine at taxi driver Nazir Syed, injuring his nose. He was given the good behaviour bond and ordered to undergo anger management counselling.

But after being told by Judge Frearson that his bid to reduce the bond from three years to a shorter period might result in a longer sentence, Mehajer started arguing via video link.

“The agreed facts, I did not agree with them … [they] are not true and correct,” Mehajer told the judge.

After a couple of exchanges, the judge told Mehajer: “Assuming you cannot change the agreed facts, do you still want to proceed with your severity appeal?”

“If that is the case,” replied Mehajer, “I won’t proceed with that matter.”

Judge Frearson then moved onto a second matter Mehajer was appealing, however the jailed developer again interrupted, saying, “I want to say something.”

The judge cut Mehajer off, saying: “I don’t want to hear you.

“I’ve dealt with the matter. It’s over. You can’t say anything that’s relevant.”

The second matter that Mehajer is appealing is his conviction for assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Channel 7 journalist Laura Banks.

On April 2 last year as he was leaving a police station after being charged with the taxi driver assault, Mehajer slammed shut a door on Banks, bruising her hand.

Banks was among a group of journalists waiting outside the police station for Mehajer.

Magistrate Joanne Keogh found Mehajer guilty, but recorded no penalty, saying a “frenzied media pack” displaying “appalling and predatory behaviour” had hunted Mehajer.

Judge Frearson tried to remand Mehajer in custody to a January date to hear the Banks assault conviction appeal.

But when Mehajer said he would be “on vacation”, Judge Freason said, “I don’t understand how you can be on vacation while you’re in jail.”

Mehajer said he had lawyers to represent him and he would be moving from Cooma back to Silverwater Correctional Centre in western Sydney.

Mehajer said he needed to go through video footage of the Banks incident, which Mr Reville said was an hour long.

Judge Frearson adjourned the hearing until February 13 next year.

Mehajer is listed to apply for bail in the NSW Supreme Court tomorrow.

In April this year, he was granted bail on unconnected charges relating to an allegedly staged car crash last October.

The crash happened when Mehajer was on his way to court to face a hearing over the casino taxi driver assault.

Police charged Mehajer with perverting the course of justice and conspiring to cheat or defraud, and five co-accused with varying charges stemming from the alleged scam.

Mehajer was refused bail and placed in custody in January over the crash allegations, but in April was granted bail on strict conditions with a $200,000 bond.

candace.sutton@news.com.au