Hotshot property king Matthew Ramsay convicted for drunken road rage tirade
He lives in Sydney’s exclusive Bellevue Hill and is known as the ice-cool property king who’s closed billions of dollars of deals. But a different side of Matthew Ramsay was revealed in court as he was convicted of an alcohol-fuelled road rage incident.
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A former hot shot real estate agent who helped complete billions of dollars in property deals tried to jump on the bonnet of a car during a drunken road rage tirade in Sydney’s CBD, a court heard.
Matthew Brian Ramsay blew 0.213 at Sydney City police station after he wove through traffic at high speeds on some of the city’s busiest streets on August 11, 2019.
CCTV and dashcam footage captured most of the ordeal between 5.52pm and 6.10pm that day, which included the 43-year-old Audi driver narrowly missing pedestrians and challenging a witness to a fight.
The Bellevue Hill man pleaded guilty to three charges including stalk and intimidation, drive recklessly and high range drink-driving before his sentence at Downing Centre Local Court.
Having lost his license, he was convicted by Magistrate Carolyn Huntsman who slammed the father for driving while heavily intoxicated.
Ramsay had made a name for himself at JLL Australia before becoming director of CBRE Residential Development’s site sales division, leading a team that presided over $1 billion in deals per year.
Highlights of his high-flying property career included working on the $305 million sale of 88 Christie St in St Leonards, and broking the sale of Channel 7’s Pyrmont building for $180 million and Channel 9’s Willoughby headquarters for $147.5 million.
He was appointed as director and partner of Ray White Commercial NSW last June, based in the company’s King St office.
It is understood he no longer works for the company.
Police facts state Ramsay had consumed “numerous” schooners of Tooheys New before jumping in his car and driving city-bound across the Anzac Bridge.
His Audi was seen to swerve between lanes, accelerate and brake harshly and hit a median strip on the Western Distributor.
When he pulled up at a red light at the intersection of Bathurst and Harbour streets, 22-year-old Emal Kakar got out of his car and attempted to speak to Ramsay.
Ramsay proceeded to get out of his white Audi A5 and yell “Let’s have a go” before Mr Kakar retreated to his vehicle, locked the doors and called police.
The former rest estate agent tried to open Mr Kakar’s driver side door before he began banging on the car windows and bonnet for several minutes, and trying to jump on the bonnet.
He returned to his car and sped off down Bathurst St, slamming on his brakes at a red light as his Audi stopped over the line of a pedestrian crossing.
His car “lurched forward” as pedestrians passed, police facts state, causing them to “move away” from the vehicle.
The Audi took off again toward Liverpool St, with several witnesses in pursuit relaying updates to police, speeding through traffic and running a red light before coming to a rest.
Police arrived at the scene near College St and found Ramsay to be “unable to follow basic instruction”. He needed to be assisted from his car.
“A strong scent of alcohol was emanating from him,” the facts state.
Ramsay told police he had been at the pub between 1pm and 3pm that day, and a breath test later returned a reading of 0.213.
He has been handed a two-year intensive corrections order.