Mohammad Bazzi and Mouman Baradaaji jailed over police assaults

Two jetski riders who hit and spat at police in a wild brawl at a Sydney marina last year have both been sentenced to jail. One will get out this month while the other is just going in after a magistrate heavily criticised their conduct.

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A young man has been sentenced to jail after he hit a police officer in the face when a day on his jetski devolved into a cocaine-fuelled fight.

Mohammad Bazzi, 21, was already on four separate bonds when he took to the Georges River on his jetski with his friend Mouman Baradaaji, 21, on November 5 last year.

He was charged with assaulting police, resisting police, assault and intimidation after a subsequent wild brawl in which Bazzi struck a police officer and Baradaaji spat blood and saliva in another police officer’s mouth.

Bazzi will spend the next six months in jail after the chaotic incident which began when a stranger told the pair they could not park their jetskis at the private Lugarno Marina and alerted them to the recent presence of a bull shark in the river.

Mohammad Bazzi will spend the next six months in jail.

A bystander called police as tensions escalated and Baradaaji pushed officers away before he was subdued with capsicum spray.

Magistrate Peter Bugden told Sutherland Local Court Bazzi then hit a senior constable in the face, leaving him stunned.

“He reached over to the police officer in an attempt to stop him spraying his co-accused,” Mr Bugden told the court.

“He was unsuccessful and Bazzi was hit in the face by one of the police, then he responded by hitting him in the face and stunning that police officer.”

Mouman Baradaaji, 20. Picture: Facebook

Mr Bugden told the court Bazzi was affected by cocaine as he continued to resist arrest, though no charges were brought in relation to drugs.

Bazzi was sentenced to 12 months’ jail with a six-month non-parole period and will be eligible for release in February 2020.

The Chester Hill man took off his tie and handed it to his parents when Mr Bugden asked court staff to summon corrective services before he sentenced him to jail.

His mother wept silently as the sentence was handed down but Bazzi looked resigned as he disappeared into the cells with corrective services officers.

Baradaaji was previously sentenced to 18 months in jail with a nine-month non-parole period for his role in the fracas, during which he spat repeatedly at police and paramedics.

Baradaaji will be released this month.

Jetskis being ridden near Lugarno Marina. Picture: Dylan Robinson

“(Bazzi) was on four Section 9 bonds at the time,” Mr Bugden told the court.

“Earlier he was at a police station and got into a scuffle with police - he acted in a very unseemly way, telling a police officer ‘I’ll rape you and your dog’.”

Mr Bugden said the court had a duty to back up police officers carrying out their necessary duties in dangerous circumstances.

“It’s inappropriate to deal with this by anything other than a full time custodial sentence,” Mr Bugden said.

“Your lawyer tells me you’ve changed your lifestyle and who you’re associating with - I take that into account.”

Bazzi was employed as an apprentice plumber prior to his arrest.

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