Disgraced former deputy mayor Salim Mehajer learns fate over staged car crash

Former politician and property developer Salim Mehajer has escaped having time added onto his already lengthy prison term after he was sentenced for a bizarre staged car crash in an attempt to duck a court appearance.

Mehajer, 38, on Tuesday appeared in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court with his legal team including lawyer Zawat Zreika to be sentenced for the choreographed crash, as he finally learned when he will be available for release from prison.

Mehajer in July entered guilty pleas to 22 charges including perverting the course of justice, making a false representation resulting in a police investigation, making a false call for an ambulance and negligent driving.

He admitted to staging the car accident in Sydney’s west in October 2017, with the court hearing that Mehajer orchestrated the incident in a bid to delay his court appearance for an unrelated criminal matter for assaulting a taxi driver.

His Mercedes was involved in a crash with a Mitsubishi Outlander at the intersection of Nicholas and Delhi streets in Lidcombe, with television crews at the scene capturing Mehajer being stretchered into an ambulance with his neck in a brace.

He was due to face a hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court that day, with his lawyer presenting a medical certificate, resulting in the matter being adjourned for three months.

He had claimed the Outlander had failed to give way at the intersection, but a forensic investigation found irregularities which ran in the face of Mehajer’s version of the accident.

Judge Warwick Hunt described the scheme as ‘unsophisticated’ and noted it did not result in Mehajer escaping facing a hearing – rather it was only adjourned until early the next year.

Television crews at the scene captured Mehajer (pictured) being stretchered into an ambulance with his neck in a brace following the car crash in October 2017 

‘There was no likelihood that the acts done in perverting the course of justice were intended to, or could have, brought the related court proceedings…to any kind of finality,’ Judge Hunt said.

Mehajer also pleaded guilty to dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offence relating to him falsely nominating other people as the drivers involved in traffic infringements.

The court heard that Mehajer was not the driver in all of the incidents.

The charges were the final criminal matters for which Mehajer was awaiting sentencing.

He was on Tuesday sentenced by Judge Hunt to a maximum of two years for the offences, with a non-parole period of 16 months.

It means his earliest release for the matters was set at 14 December this year.

However, it will matter little given the former Auburn deputy mayor is already in prison after he was found guilty in separate trials for unrelated fraud and domestic violence matters mid last year.

In a decision handed down by District Court Judge James Bennett earlier this year, Mehajer was sentenced to a maximum of seven years and nine months in jail.

Mehajer (pictured) was sentenced to a maximum of two years behind bars after he pleaded guilty in July over 22 charges including making a false call for an ambulance and negligent driving

He was sentenced concurrently for both the fraud and domestic violence offences and was handed a three-and-a-half year non-parole period.

After those sentencing proceedings, his earliest possible release was set at July next year.

Mehajer has now been in custody since November 2020 when he was convicted of two counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of making a false statement under oath.

Judge Hunt noted Mehajer had endured onerous conditions in jail, having served a large chunk of his prison sentence during the Covid-19 pandemic.

And he said Mehajer had good prospects of rehabilitation, noting he was a man of considerable intelligence and means.

‘If he can return to using his abilities for good rather than ill, he will have a successful life,’ Judge Hunt said.