Salim Mehajer asked assault-claim reporter to join him in car

Salim Mehajer asked a TV reporter to join him in the back of a car before jamming her arm in the door, a court has heard | WATCH

Channel Seven reporter Laura Banks leaves the hearing against former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Merhajer today. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Controversial Sydney property developer Salim Mehajer asked a Channel 7 reporter to join him in the back seat of a car before jamming her arm in the door, footage played in a Sydney court today shows.

Footage played to Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court shows a media scrum, including Channel 7 reporter Laura Banks, following Mehajer and asking him questions after he was released from Sydney’s Day Street police station in April last year, having been arrested for allegedly assaulting a taxi driver after a night out at The Star casino.

Mr Mehajer can be heard saying “jump in, I’ll have a little chat to you,” before he shut the door on her arm.

Earlier, on leaving the police station, Mr Mehajer had got in the back of a taxi, but, surrounded by the media scrum, the taxi driver refused to drive off.

Banks was asking Mr Mehajer questions through the taxi window when Mr Mehajer took a microphone and sat on it, the court heard.

Banks began videoing the scene on her mobile phone, which then fell into the car.

Mr Mehajer, wearing a maroon suit, was ordered out of the taxi by a police officer.

The property developer was then followed by the media scrum as he walked to meet an associate who had come to pick him up.

Controversial ex-Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer has been forced to repeatedly re-live in a Sydney court the moment he allegedly assaulted a reporter after a weekend arrest. https://t.co/uGep7hofq0 #7News pic.twitter.com/3QEtGBgfaG

— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) 19 February 2018

During that time Banks asked Mr Mehajer whether he had “hit rock bottom” and a reporter from The Daily Telegraph asked whether Mr Mehajer had “no mates” and “no chauffeur to pick you up?”

Mr Mehajer can be heard responding to media questions, stating, “Will you have some respect? I am on the phone.”

Under cross-examination by my Mr Mehajer’s lawyer, Philip Boulton SC, Banks said she continued asking questions because Mr Mehajer was “laughing and quite jovial”.

She said she believed Mr Mehajer was not actually speaking to anyone on the phone because she could see text messages on its screen, indicating no phone call was taking place.

In the footage Mr Mehajer can be seen pointing to a ring being worn by Banks and saying “that’s ridiculous”.

Banks agreed she had been briefly “offended” by the statement, which was apparent “by the look on my face”, but denied Mr Boulton’s suggestion it had motivated her to pursue Mr Mehajer more vigorously.

Salim Mehajer speaks with Channel Seven reporter Laura Banks. Picture: Channel Seven

Mr Mehajer subsequently said to Banks: “Why are you so attracted to me? Get back away from me.”

Banks said she continued asking questions because Mr Mehajer was smiling and had made the comments in a manner that was “almost flirtatious”.

Mr Mehajer can be heard saying “jump in the back seat”, before Banks’ arm is jammed in the door.

Banks told the court her hand was bruised and she suffered a back injury.

Her injuries were not contested by Mr Mehajer’s counsel.

Mr Mehajer, who is currently in custody after being arrested last month over alleged insurance fraud, told the court he felt “cornered, bullied and harassed” when the media pack pressed him. “It was horrendous,” he said. “I didn’t want to face the media.”

Asked whether he intended to catch Banks’s arm with the car door, he replied: “Absolutely not. It all happened very quickly. My only thought was to leave.”

The property developer, and former deputy mayor of Auburn in Sydney’s west, was wearing a suit and appeared to take notes of the proceedings.

The hearing continues.

Additional reporting: AAP