Ali Elskaf charged with six driving offences in southwest Sydney
A car salesman who police allege was behind the wheel of a Mercedes as it reached speeds of more than 200km/h around Sydney has been banned from using Instagram.
Liverpool
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A Moorebank car salesman who police allege was behind the wheel of a Mercedes spotted speeding along the M5 motorway in Sydney’s southwest on three occasions earlier this year will defend the charges.
Ali Elskaf, 36, appeared at Liverpool Local Court today charged with three counts of drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous and three counts of Class A motor vehicle exceed speed over 45 km/h (estimated).
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Police allege the speeding offences occurred between January and March, beginning on January 4 when they allege Mr Elskaf was behind the wheel of a white Mercedes Benz travelling at 155km/h in a signposted 80km/h roadwork zone on the M5 motorway at Beverly Hills.
The next day, police allege Mr Elskaf was driving the same car as it hurtled along the M5 motorway near Moorebank and accelerated to a speed of 189km/h in a 100km/h zone.
The court today heard he allegedly drove onto the motorway despite it being closed during a bushfire.
The third incident allegedly occurred on March 18, also on the M5 motorway at Moorebank, with police alleging he was the driver of a silver Mercedes travelling at 211km/h in a 100km/h zone.
Police also allege videos of the incidents were uploaded on Instagram.
Mr Elskaf was arrested the next day and charged with the offences. Police also suspended his licence.
He was granted conditional bail.
Mr Elskaf’s solicitor Fadi Abbas successfully appealed the licence suspension at Bankstown Local Court on March 24.
Today, Mr Abbas applied to vary his bail conditions, including one prohibiting him from associating with a friend.
Mr Abbas said that friend was listed in the police fact sheet as a “co-accused”, although the court heard the man had not been charged.
Mr Abbas also sought to lift a restriction prohibiting Mr Elskaf from using Instagram, arguing he needed the platform to run his business.
He said his client was free to use Facebook, Snapchat and other social media platforms, but not Instagram.
The application was opposed by the police prosecutor, who submitted the videos were posted to Mr Elskaf’s Instagram account “to gain a degree of notoriety” among his followers and withdrawing access to the platform “takes that motivation from him”.
Magistrate Brett Thomas noted there was a “massive issue in relation to identification” in the Crown case, but refused the application, saying the conditions were required to alleviate bail concerns.
The matter has been adjourned to May 20.