Salim Mehajer, pictured in 2017, has been denied a second chance to apply for bail in the Local Court. Credit:AAP He has been behind bars since he was refused bail at Waverley Local Court in late January over allegations he staged a car crash to avoid appearing in court for an assault trial. His barrister Anthony Bellanto QC said Mr Mehajer's sister - solicitor Zenah Osman - was willing to offer a $100,000 surety to secure her brother's release. Mr Bellanto said the money, as well as the newspaper articles, were a material change in circumstances that meant his client should be allowed to apply for bail in the Local Court a second time. "The problem for Mr Mehajer is that, through no fault of his own, he was housed in a cell with an alleged jewel thief who went public - I will infer for money, and I don't have any firm evidence of that," Mr Bellanto said.

Salim Mehajer has been behind bars since he was refused bail at Waverley Local Court in late January. Credit:AAP "He went public for money, describing the conditions under which Mr Mehajer was being confined and going into some detail, which I don't think I need to go into at this stage. That, as one would know, in the jail milieu and the general way of life that prisoners are forced to lead, can have devastating repercussions within the jail hierarchy." Mr Bellanto said the article acknowledged Mr Mehajer was a "somewhat sensitive person" and the newspaper articles would have "far-reaching repercussions" for him which constituted extra-curial punishment. DPP solicitor Lisa Robinson said Mr Mehajer should not be granted a second chance to apply for bail because he had "repeatedly" placed himself in the public eye through his own choices, and was simply looking for "a second bite of the cherry". "What it smacks of is a man who is unhappy with a decision that has been made, a man who is struggling from what is a significant fall from what he is accustomed to, and a man who is looking for a second bite of the cherry," Ms Robinson said.

She said the "meagre" surety was only relevant if the Crown submitted Mr Mehajer was a flight risk, which it did not. Magistrate Mark Richardson said the articles, one of which was titled "Naked truth from sad Salim's cellmate", were "embarrassing" and "highly prejudicial" to Mr Mehajer and "probably defamatory of him". However, he said the stories and the offered surety were not sufficient to trigger a new bail application because there was no suggestion the articles had put Mr Mehajer in danger behind bars. "He's not shy of publicity himself, is he?" Mr Richardson asked, pointing out one of the stories had a photo of Mr Mehajer's wedding. "Publicity is part and parcel of his being for quite some time." Mr Bellanto responded: "A certain type of publicity."

Mr Mehajer attended the hearing via audio-video link from the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater. He wore prison greens and held a string of beads in his hand as he listened to the proceedings. Loading The court heard Corrective Services officers had put in place "certain steps" to protect Mr Mehajer during his time in custody, particularly from "a threat" he may experience from others within the prison system. His case will return to court in Burwood on March 28.