Merrylands West: Mohammad Saleh faces sentencing for street racing that ultimately killed Claire Georgey

A ‘pompous’ street racer who has been allowed to marry, work, worship at a mosque and socialise while on bail has had those liberties taken away as he was jailed for ultimately claiming the life of a young woman.

Mohammad Abdulmunim Saleh arrives at court with his wife ahead of sentencing.

A “hoon” who sped along a Sydney highway in a race before he ploughed into a young woman’s wagon – ultimately leading to her death a week later – has been jailed, prompting cries from his mother in court.

Mohammad Abdulmunim Saleh and his friend Spiros Malamas raced each other along the Cumberland Highway in their high-performance cars at Merrylands West on September 7, 2020.

Saleh’s 1995 Nissan Skyline sports car collided with Claire Georgey’s Subaru Forester wagon at the intersection of the highway and Bruce St at 10.30pm when she was driving home from work after a late shift at Liverpool.

The vivacious young woman’s vehicle burst into a ball of flames and, after undergoing surgeries and clinging to life at Westmead Hospital, she died on September 14.

Guildford 32-year-old Saleh was on bail and, in September last year, he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death-drive speed dangerous and dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm – drive speed dangerous.

‘Her smile lit up the room’: Claire Georgey died aged 22.

In June, Malamas was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month community correction order, which allows him to serve his sentence out of jail.

The Greystanes man was behind the wheel of a 2018 black Kia Stinger GT with a V6 twin turbo engine, which was registered to his business, Qwest Property Group at Wentworthville.

He pleaded guilty to driving recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous.

In the week her youngest child would have turned 26, Miss Georgey’s mother, Samantha, said neither of the drivers had contacted her family to express remorse.

“We as a family have never spoken out about what happened to Claire and neither of the drivers on the night have ever reached out to her family to admit they were in the wrong or shown any remorse,’’ she said.

In a statement, she said the social work student who was planning to travel in 2021, was “snatched away from us”.

“She was a ray of light in our family,’’ she said.

“She had a big heart and her smile lit up the room.

“She loved hard and lived life to the full and we miss her dearly every single day.’’

Claire Georgey (front, right) with her peers at Merrylands High School in 2014. Picture: Adam Taylor

Claire dreamt of travelling. Picture: Instagram

She implored drivers not to speed so they did not become victims like her youngest child – a former Merrylands High School student who loved the Parramatta Eels and once worked in outside-school-hours care with primary school children.

“We know the outcome of today’s sentencing will never bring our girl back, but we hope it stops someone from speeding,’’ she said.

“Speeding kills. It may be your daughter or sister whose life is innocently taken by a speeding driver. Stop speeding.’’

At Parramatta District Court on Wednesday, Judge Stephen Hanley said Saleh had been allowed to take up employment, start a relationship and marry, attend a mosque and socialise while he was on bail.

The court heard he described himself as pompous and impulsive, which led to the catastrophic collision.

He said the victim impact statements from Miss Georgey’s family, which were not read aloud to the court, demonstrated the enormous impact it had on their lives.

“Their lives have an emptiness, which is incapable of being filled,’’ he said.

He said the victim was denied the opportunity to be an aunt, mother, world traveller and school counsellor.

A court previously heard Malamas changed lanes and wove across lines behind Saleh’s 800 horsepower car – which did not have a compliance certificate and was not legally allowed to be driven because of its modifications.

Saleh was driving close to 45km/h over the 70km/h speed limit.

The severity of the horror crash forced Miss Georgey’s car to spin into a traffic light pole, which was knocked out of the ground.

Jim Malamas has already been sentenced. Picture: Facebook

Mohammad Abdulmunim Saleh when he was on bail.

She suffered a cardiac arrest and was found lying unconscious on the footpath near her Subaru.

Miss Georgey would have celebrated her birthday on November 27.

“I just want people to know that she is dearly missed and this has left a huge hole in our lives,’’ her mum said in statement to this publication.

Mohammad Abdulmunim Saleh is now in custody.

“The only consequence of that tragic night can’t be Claire’s death. This has dragged on for three years and two months with so many court delays.’’

Judge Hanley told the court a custodial sentence was appropriate and sentenced Saleh to five years’ jail with a non-parole period of three years.

Saleh turned to a dozen supporters who attended court and told his mother: “Mum it’s OK, please’’ as she continued to yell in Arabic as he was handcuffed from the dock.

“I want to have my son, please,’’ she said.

“My son please.’’

On November 16, Judge Hanley blasted Saleh for failing to take responsibility for his poor driving record which included an aggravated burnout and multiple speeding offences.

He was declared a habitual offender in 2011 and did not undertake a traffic offender’s program until June 2023.

“The record’s consistent with someone who shouldn’t be driving,’’ he said.

“It used to be called hoons once upon a time.’’