Assadallah Bazzi: Minto man sentenced for police pursuit at Miller

A man who drove on the wrong side of the road to avoid police forcing drivers cars, a bus and a truck to take evasive action has been sentenced. Read what happened in court.

A Minto man who told police he was the “dumbest” for driving on the wrong side of a road during a pursuit will remain behind bars.

Assadallah Bazzi fronted Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a police pursuit, breaking a stay-at-home order, driving under the influence of meth and drive during a disqualification period.

Court documents reveal on August 3, 2021, police were conducting patrols of the Miller area when they saw Bazzi driving northbound on Cartwright Ave with a cloud of black smoke coming out of the exhaust.

When they pulled him over for a breath test, Bazzi accelerated into a roundabout and drove onto the wrong side of the road.

Police began a pursuit, but stopped it when Bazzi drove the car onto a median strip and continued on the wrong side of the road.

Multiple cars, a bus and a truck had to take evasive actions to avoid a collision.

The police facts further revealed the car stopped and the man tried to run, until he stopped and placed his hands in the air.

Campbelltown Courthouse

He told police he drove on the wrong side of the road because he was “the dumbest c--t”, and his passenger had been telling him to stop the whole time.

In court on Wednesday, his solicitor Elizabeth Saunderson acknowledged the matter was aggravated by the fact he was on parole for similar offences.

She said he drove on the wrong side of the road, and cars had to take evasive actions.

“It is objectively serious,” Ms Saunderson said.

“While he has been in custody ... there has been many occasions where he has been locked in due to Covid making his time in custody more onerous.

“He hasn't been able to work or participate in any courses … due to Covid.”

Ms Saunderson said Bazzi grew up in a housing commission estate in Minto, and from a young age was “surrounded by a negative peer association”.

She said he started to use ice at 16 years old and that started a “downward spiral”.

“He has been in and out of jail for large parts of his adult life,” Ms Saunderson said.

“He struggles when he is released into the community … he appears to be someone who is institutionalised.”

Ms Saunderson acknowledged he would serve time, and asked the magistrate to make an order that Bazzi complete a compulsory rehabilitation program in prison.

Magistrate Susan McGowan said it was “very dangerous behaviour” undertaken by Bazzi.

“It’s a wonder he didn't write himself off as well as the truck driver or anyone near him,” she said.

“He is obviously institutionalised ... obviously there is a need for rehabilitation.”

For the four offences, Magistrate McGowan sentenced him to 36 months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 22 months and one week.

Bazzi’s sentence has been backdated to start from October 16, and he will be eligible for release from August 22, 2023.