Judge tells Salim Mehajer his ‘life is shambolic

Former high-flying property developer Salim Mehajer has told a court he’s been in “excruciating pain” for weeks, as a police tape revealed his “shambolic” new life.

Salim Mehajer is in “excruciating pain” and his life is “shambolic”, a court has heard.

The former high-flying property developer claimed he had been in pain for the last two weeks as he faced close questioning about a plaster cast and bandage which appeared and reappeared on his right hand during an earlier court appearance.

And at the end the latest in a series of court appearances in which Mehajer is applying to have access to Instagram added to his current bail conditions, Judge James Bennett remarked Mehajer’s life currently was “shambolic”.

Salim Mehajer leaves during a break at Parramatta District Court in Sydney today. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

“His life is shambolic with the amount of litigation he is facing,” Judge Bennett told the court.

Outside the court defence barrister Dymphna Hawkins denied Judge Bennett had said that, and Mehajer himself said the judge had described his “matters” as “shambolic”.

Judge Bennett is considering whether to grant Mehajer access to one electronic device - probably a mobile phone, as the former deputy Auburn Council mayor faces a number of court appearances on criminal and civil matters.

The court heard that Mehajer started taking medication for his mental health, is seeing a forensic psychiatrist. His girlfriend Melissa Tysoe has mental health issues and is too afraid to appear in court.

Parramatta District Court also heard Mehajer cut a plaster cast off his right hand with a pair of scissors so it didn’t get in the way of his wearing a suit for a court appearance.

Asked repeatedly about how Mehajer, who is right-handed, removed the cast which went from his right hand half way up his arm, the embattled property developer insisted, “I removed it myself”.

With scissors? “Yes.”

You are right-handed? “Yes.”

Police bodycam footage of Salim Mehajer's arrest on 3 June. Picture: NSW Police

“It wouldn’t fit in my sleeve, it would force me to wear a t-shirt and I didn’t want to wear a t-shirt,” Mehajer told the court.

“I have been in excruciating pain for several weeks and I don’t know whether it’s fractured or broken.”

The 33-year-old was being questioned during yet another hearing in Mehajer’s prolonged application for a variation in his bail conditions on charges relating to an alleged car crash scam.

The latest of numerous hearings delayed by Mehajer’s lateness, or his injured arm, was said by Judge Bennett two weeks ago to “go down in the record books”.

I am going to put a stop to this,” Judge Bennett told the court on Tuesday before starting the hearing, “the evidence will conclude today”.

However, at the end of the day he held over the hearing until Friday to consider prosecution and defence submissions.

Mehajer is fighting additional conditions that have prevented him from having a mobile phone or accessing social media, including his favoured platform Instagram.

Mehajer was so concerned about his appearance he used hairspray while grooming himself in front of the bathroom mirror during his arrest for breaching his bail earlier this month. Picture: Supplied

The court heard today that Mehajer might be granted access to a mobile phone, as long as he did not tether or connect the phone with any other device, did not used Skye or Whatsapp, and used only one SIM registered with an officer of the court.

Last week, the court heard that Mehajer accused police of picking on him, in a video of his arrest in early June played at the hearing.

In the police video, Mehajer can be seen opening the front door of his luxury home dressed in an untucked white shirt and trousers looking confused about why police are there.

Officers went to his house, in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Lidcombe, on June 3 to arrest Mehajer over allegations that he had breached bail conditions less than a week after he was released from Cooma prison.

In the video, recorded on police bodycam, officers berate him for taking too long to get ready as he preens himself in a mirror.

The lengthy footage shows Mehajer’s palatial mini-mansion including its marble spiral staircase and lavish walk-in wardrobes, the size of small rooms.

One room is wall-to-wall business shirts, suits and shoes where Mehajer lingers, pondering what to wear as police become frustrated.

“Any pants will do, I’m not going to wait until you get a specific suit ready,” an exasperated Detective Sergeant Matthew Taylor of Auburn police, who made the arrest, says to Mehajer.

“The thing is I can’t find the right pants,” Mehajer replies.

Mehajer’s girlfriend appears on the police video. Picture: Supplied

The disgraced businessman then heads into the bathroom with his former girlfriend Melissa Tysoe in tow. Looking into the mirror he applies moisturiser and then covers himself in a fine mist of hair spray.

He spent a night in the cells at Burwood after his bail was temporarily revoked on different charges.

Prosecutors alleged Mehajer sent emails to a former friend Hassan Kanj, threatening Mr Kanj that he could face five years jail for a purported break-in to Mehajer’s home.

They further claimed an email which said “kiss your kids for me” was also threatening.

Mr Kanj is one of eight witnesses listed in new charges laid against Mehajer while he was still in Cooma prison.

The charges allege Mehajer wilfully made false declarations regarding who was driving his car when speeding fines were incurred between 2012 and 2014.

The court heard Mehajer had been at risk of losing his licence during that time.

His police bail conditions on the charges say he must have not contact with any of the witnesses.

But Mehajer walked free on bail after his night in custody, after he admitted breaching bail, saying he’d had two separate sets of bail conditions, and hadn’t properly read all the details.

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