Paul Ghassibe bailed after he allegedly caused fatal car crash in Catherine Field

A father-of-two has been released on bail days after police allege he drove too fast on the wrong side of the road and caused a fatal collision in Sydney’s south west.

A father-of-two has been released on bail days after police allege he drove too fast on the wrong side of the road and caused a fatal collision in Sydney’s south west.

Paul Raymond Ghassibe, 37, appeared in Picton court via audio visual link on Wednesday after being charged with dangerous driving occasioning death; negligent driving (occasioning death); and not keeping left of dividing line.

At around 8pm on Sunday February 13, police allege Mr Ghassibe was driving a white Mercedes SUV on the wrong side of Springfield Rd in Catherine Field.

According to police, CCTV footage captured from a nearby home shows Mr Ghassibe driving south on the wrong side of the road at a speed “well in excess of the prevailing speed limit”. Police claim he can then be seen travelling directly over the double lines for less than a hundred metres before heading back into the correct lane.

Paul Raymond Ghassibe has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death after he allegedly caused a horrific collision at Catherine Fields. Picture: Facebook

Police allege he ignored the double lines to travel back onto the wrong side of the road and crashed into a Toyota Cressida. The victim’s car spun 135 degrees and stopped in the middle of the northbound lane and the victim remained trapped in the car, according to the police facts.

The 55-year-old driver of the Toyota suffered critical injuries and died in his vehicle, according to the documents tendered to the court.

Meanwhile, police allege Mr Ghassibe’s car rotated a full 360 degrees before continuing for around 40 metres and sideswiping a power pole.

The court heard he denied driving on the wrong side of the road during an interview with police, and instead insisted the victim was at fault.

The police prosecutor said the crash was a very serious collision resulting “in an innocent member of the public losing their life and a car being used as a weapon”.

“The manner of driving can only be described as atrocious,” she said.

The court heard Mr Ghassibe has six prior speeding offences in his record and was on a good behaviour bond at the time of the crash. The police prosecutor told the court the investigation was ongoing into his speed at the time of the crash and new charges could be laid against the Catherine Field resident.

However, his lawyer Alan Conwell reminded the court there is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

He said his client is a father-of-two and a business owner who has no convictions and has lived in the local area for his whole life. Mr Conwell told the court his client suffered a facial laceration and an injured chest as a result of the crash.

“It’s been relayed to me he’s in shock about this,” he said.

Crash investigators on the scene at Springfield Road, Catherine Field after the fatal crash on February 13. Picture: Annie Lewis

Magistrate Mark Douglass said the court had concerns about Mr Ghassibe’s proclivity for speeding, especially given speed was the alleged cause of the crash.

“He has an appalling traffic history, based on speed and driving dangerously,” he said.

He determined to grant Mr Ghassibe strict conditional bail and directed him not to occupy the driver‘s seat, to reside at his home, report to police daily, not to approach international departure point, not to leave NSW, and not contact any victim or witness.

Magistrate Douglass directed him to pay a surety of $10,000 – which was only 10 per cent of the surety requested by the prosecution.