Salim Mehajer found guilty of assaulting Seven reporter Laura Banks

A Sydney magistrate has found Salim Mehajer guilty of assaulting a female television reporter who was attempting to interview him.

Embattled property developer and former deputy mayor of Sydney’s Auburn Salim Mehajer has been found guilty of assaulting a TV reporter by jamming her arm in a car door while she was attempting to interview him.

Magistrate Joanne Keogh of Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court found Mr Mehajer guilty of the assault.

In April last year Channel Seven crime reporter Laura Banks was party of a media scrum attempting to interview Mr Mehajer after he left a Sydney CBD police station having been charged with assaulting a taxi driver after a night out at Sydney’s Star City Casino.

Ms Keogh said Mr Mehajer had been the victim of “predatory” behaviour from a “pack” of journalists led by Ms Banks, but found he was reckless to the risk of harm when he closed the door of a Porsche, jamming the arm of Ms Banks.

“Ironically, the impression created of Mr Mehajer was of the victim and Ms Banks and her cohorts in the media were [subjecting him] to the most appalling and predatory behaviour,” the magistrate said.

Mehajer’s barrister, Phillip Boulten SC, asked for no conviction to be recorded, citing the magistrate’s criticism of Ms Banks.

On Monday Mr Mehajer, who is currently in prison having last month been charged with insurance fraud in relation to a series of car crashes, admitted he had used “immense force” when slamming shut the car door, but that he did not intend to injure Ms Banks.

“It was closed with immense force, I don’t deny that,” he told the court. But he said it was ­“utterly untrue” that he had ­intended to catch Banks’s arm.

Mr Mehajer told the court he had been “cornered and bullied” by the media pack.

Mr Mehajer is facing a string of legal battles, including civil claims brought by contractors claiming he owes them money and allegations of electoral fraud regarding his election to Auburn Council in Sydney’s west.

Channel 7 reporter Laura Banks leaves the Downing Centre district court.