Ahmad Hassan: Auburn jeweller flipped Mercedes after late night vodka session

A successful jeweller who drove after an all night vodka session had to crawl out of his passenger window after flipping his car and ‘decapitating’ a telephone pole.

A successful jeweller and father of three from Auburn has landed in court after flipping his $100,000 Mercedes after a late night vodka session — his second drink driving offence.

Ahmad Hassan, 32, was driving his white Mercedes Benz E53 from his father’s house about 4am on April 1 when he hit a curb on a roundabout on Miller St, Chester Hill, flipping the car, agreed facts tendered to Bankstown Local Court reveal.

The E53 then slid into a telegraph pole, destroying it, before smashing into a parked Toyota Kluger, pinning Hassan in the car, and forcing him to crawl out of the passenger side window.

Police arrived at the scene finding him bloody and dazed and a subsequent breath test revealed a reading of 0.178.

Hassan’s lawyer said he was not trying to play down in any way, shape, or form, the seriousness of these offences, but pointed out no bystanders had been harmed after the crash.

Ahmad M Hassan, a jeweller from Chester Hill, outside Bankstown Local Court on September 30, 2022. Hassan was convicted of high range drink driving after flipping his $100,000 Mercedes after a late night vodka session. Picture: Paul Brescia

He asked the magistrate to consider his need for his licence as a jeweller, telling the court his client regularly had upwards of $500,000 worth of cash or jewellery when travelling.

“It’s too big a responsibility to give to an employee, he has to do it himself” his lawyer said.

“Whatever period of time your Honour takes his licence on him, every single day that inconvenience will reinforce the stupidity of the decisions he has made.”

His lawyer told the court Hassan still had $90,000 remaining on his $100,000 loan for the Mercedes, intends to spend the money to fix it, and needs to pay to replace the power pole he destroyed.

When sentencing Hassan, magistrate Glenn Walsh told the court no person with a blood alcohol reading of 0.178 could rationally believe they could control a motor vehicle which has the capacity to kill and main another person.

“Only by good luck was no one else injured,” he said.

But what really concerned Mr Walsh was Hassan telling Transport for NSW he was moving interstate on July 26.

“His sentencing assessment report says he lives in Auburn,” Mr Walsh said. “Any licence in any Australian jurisdiction will be disqualified.”

He highlighted Hassan’s poor driving record, including a mid-range drink driving offence in 2018, speeding and negligent driving.

Hassan was sentenced to a 12 month prison sentence, to be served in the community through an intensive corrections order, but Mr Walsh said he was too busy with his business and children for community service work.

Additionally, he disqualified him from driving for nine months — reduced from 12 — and ordered him to install an interlock on his car for a five year period.

“Having imposed a custodial sentence, it would be inappropriate to impose a fine on top of that,” Mr Walsh said.

“Loss of licence will be a substantial cause for loss of money, as well as damage to his vehicle, other vehicle, and telephone pole.”