Salim Mehajer has items removed from his exclusive Sydney home

ON THE same day Salim Mehajer appeared in court on an assault charge, there was a lot of activity at his exclusive Sydney mansion.

ON THE same day he faced court to fight an assault charge, disgraced property developer Salim Mehajer had furniture removed from his Sydney mansion.

A tanning bed, furniture, white goods and CCTV cameras were some of the items that were filmed by Channel 9 being taken from the Vaucluse property.

The move came after Mehajer was ordered to pay $18,000 in outstanding rent. The order was granted at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal last week that gave him 21 days to leave or pay the money he owed.

While the items were being taken from his home, Mehajer was in the Downing Centre Local Court defending a charge he assaulted Channel 7 reporter Laura Banks by shutting her in a car door.

The 31-year-old said he used “immense force” when he slammed the door on the journalist.

“Yes, I used immense force, I don’t deny that. But I was just worried about trying to get away,” Mehajer told the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday.

Salim Mehajer's belongings are taken away.

Items are removed from Salim Mehajer's home.

“I felt like I was cornered.”

The impact caused her hand to almost immediately bruise and she still feels pain in her back.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, arguing he never meant to cause her harm.

Mehajer told the court he felt “cornered, bullied and harassed” by the media when they confronted him in the laneway.

“I didn’t want to face the media,” he said Monday afternoon.

“It was horrendous.”

Salim Mehajer has been charged with assaulting Channel 7 reporter Laura Banks. Picture: Brianne Makin

Channel 7 reporter Laura Banks and News Director Jason Morrison leave the Downing Centre after the hearing.

He told the court he didn’t intend to hit Banks with the door.

“Absolutely not ... It all happened very quickly. My thought was [only] to leave.”

The magistrate in the assault case will return to court on Friday to deliver her judgment.

Mehajer is in custody on charges of perverting the course of justice and conspiracy to cheat and defraud relating to a car crash in October last year where he and others allegedly staged a collision in Lidcombe. He was denied bail last week on those charges and will reappear on those matters next month.