Ben Spackman, 39: Drunk Mona Vale real estate agent punched uber driver in the face

An angry, award-winning Sydney real estate agent has been convicted of punching an uber driver for ordering him out of his car for being too drunk. See what happened in court.

Benjamin William Spackman, 39, a real estate agent of Mona Vale, leaves Manly Local Court on Wednesday after being convicted of the drunken assault of an uber driver in May, 2022. Picture: Manly Daily

One of the northern beaches’ top real estate agents punched an uber driver in the face after he ordered him from his car for being too drunk.

Benjamin (Ben) Spackman, who runs the Raine & Horne franchise at Mona Vale, was convicted of attacking the driver, and damaging his car, on a Saturday night in May last year.

Manly Local Court heard that Spackman had been drinking alcohol with his staff after work from 4.30pm, on May 21, 2022.

Spackman was convicted and hit with two Community Correction Orders to be of good behaviour for 12 months and fined a total of $1800.

At 7.30pm an associate suggested they book an uber ride into the Sydney CBD to continue the party, according to a police facts sheet tendered to court.

When the uber arrived outside the agency office in Darley St East, Spackman, who boasts on his agency website that he is ranked in the top 100 of agents in Australia and the “number one agent in Mona Vale for 5 consecutive years” jumped into the front passenger seat.

Benjamin William Spackman, 39, a real estate agent of Mona Vale, leaves Manly Local Court on Wednesday. Picture: Manly Daily

But the court heard that Spackman slammed the door shut, causing the driver to ask him if he would have shut the door “in the same manner” in his own car.

Spackman didn’t reply but “continued to behave in an intoxicated manner”, the police stated in the facts sheet.

After believing the trip into the city would be “unsafe” with Spackman on-board, the driver ordered him from his car.

But the real estate agent refused to get out and started singing - despite being asked to get out of the vehicle several times.

“However, the accused continued to ignore the (driver) and leaned his body towards (him), making him feel uncomfortable,” the facts sheet stated.

“He continually leaned his face closer to the victim”

The uber driver ordered Spackman from the car after he felt it would be unsafe to take him to the Sydney CBD. File picture: Alastair Pike / AFP)

The driver told him that he was “not gay” and to stop his behaviour.

“Are you a p***ter?”, Spackman replied before punching the driver to the right side of the face.

Spackman then got out of the car and punched the passenger and drivers’ side windows while the driver called police.

His associates were not accused of any wrongdoing.

When officers arrived they found Spackman lying unconscious outside the office.

He was taken by ambulance to Royal North Shore Hospital.

The court was told he was admitted for the “level of his intoxication” and a “possible self-sustained head injury”.

Spackman pleaded guilty to one count each of common assault and damage property.

His lawyer said he woke up in hospital two days later and had taken steps to address his drinking.

The lawyer said the uber driver refused Spackman access to his car, but that it was “not an excuse for what he did”.

Magistrate Robert Williams told Spackman that the court and community must be “concerned with your offending”, linked to the use of alcohol.