Read the comedy of errors Salim Mehajer made as he represented himself in his last ditch bid for freedom in front of a judge with a lifetime’s experience in the law
- Salim Mehajer has lost his last-ditch bid for freedom at the Supreme Court
- It followed a comedy of errors at a recent hearing representing himself
- He was doing so in front of one of the state’s most renowned lawyers
- Decorated Justice Mark Ierace prosecuted Serbian war crimes for the UN
- The judge was until recently the Senior Public Defender for New South Wales
For his last ditch bid for freedom, Salim Mehajer represented himself in front of a highly respected Supreme Court judge who has worked as a barrister in hundreds of trials and prosecuted Serbian war crimes for the United Nations.
He didn’t succeed.
The disgraced former western Sydney property developer, 34, was refused bail on Friday afternoon, with Justice Mark Ierace taking less than five minutes to shut down his latest bid to be released from jail.
It was the former politician’s fourth such application in a month after a court revoked his bail for charges of perverting the course of justice and making false statements under oath.
Today’s judgment followed a recent comedy of errors in court by Mehajer, who had been refused a legal aid lawyer. He bumbled through earlier appearances including by telling the court that he had faxed important paperwork through to prosecutors, even though the lawyers said they do not have a fax number.
No dice: Salim Mehajer lost a last-ditch bid for freedom at the NSW Supreme Court on Friday afternoon after representing himself in court in front of a highly decorated judge who prosecuted war criminals for the United Nations and was the state of New South Wales’ Senior Public Defender
The colourful Sydney identity’s failed bid for freedom comes after he vowed to vigorously contest allegations he assaulted his ex-girlfriend Melissa Tysoe (above)
Watching on was Justice Ierace. Before being appointed to the bench, he was the Senior Public Defender for the state of New South Wales. He once prosecuted the commander of the Bosnian Serbian Forces who laid siege to Sarajevo for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
In recent weeks, he has sat in judgment of one of Sydney’s most colourful identities’ bail applications.
Supreme Court Justice Mark Ierace is a decorated NSW lawyer who prosecured war crimes for the UN
On Thursday, Mehajer reportedly told the judge he was requesting to be released back to his Lidcombe home.
He pledged to lock himself in a room with his laptop to prepare for various court cases against him.
Mehajer has been charged with breaching an apprehended violence order against his ex-girlfriend, Melissa Tysoe. He told the court he was planning to vigorously defend the matters, according to a News Corp report.
The hearing followed a bumbling previous court appearance – where Justice Ierace told him he would have to wait as he hadn’t sent in his submissions.
Mehajer insisted he’d faxed the paperwork to the court and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. But the judge said the court hadn’t received it.
The 34-year-old has said he will vigorously fight claims he assaulted his ex girlfriend Melissa Tysoe (together, above)
Mehajer has since been accused of repeatedly breaching an AVO taken out for Ms Tysoe (above)
Mehajer then reportedly admitted only sending them in an hour before the case was set to begin, giving the prosecution little notice.
Crown Prosecutor Kate Kenny then revealed the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions doesn’t have a fax number.
Therefore, she claimed Mehajer could not have sent the documents through to her office.
The matter was adjourned to give Mehajer more time to get the required documents to both the prosecution and the court.
‘Mr Mehajer, I’m told that the bail registry no longer works on a fax system, but we’ll make some inquiries,’ Justice Ierace said.
Mehajer then changed his tune, insisting that the Corrective Services officer which supposedly sent the fax had ‘made a mistake and typed the wrong number’.
‘I can see here, that’s why. The registrar’s assistant said he can fax it. He’s typed the number wrong, that’s why it’s failed,’ he said, according to the Daily Telegraph.
During a recent failed bid for bail at the District Court, Mehajer apologised for ‘juvenile’ submissions which included spelling errors.
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