Salim Mehajer claims his trial over domestic violence charges was ‘defective’ and ‘unfair’

Salim Mehajer claims his trial was “defective” and unfair after he was found guilty of a string of domestic violence charges against his ex-partner, with the disgraced former politician now fighting his sentence and conviction in court.

Mehajer punched his ex-partner in the head during an argument in his car, squeezing her hand and crushing her phone that she was holding.

He suffocated her by putting his hand over her nose and mouth until she passed out, and threatened to kill her mother.

A jury found the former Auburn mayor guilty of six charges, including assault, intimidation and suffocation, and he was later found guilty of forging the signatures of his solicitor, Zali Burrows, and his sister during a separate trial.

He was sentenced to a maximum of seven years and nine months in jail for the domestic violence and fraud offences, but was released from prison on July 18 upon the expiry of his non-parole period.

Mehajer is fighting the domestic violence convictions and sentence in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.

He claims his trial was “defective”, unfair, and resulted in a “miscarriage of justice”, as the refusal of an adjournment denied him the chance to organise legal representation.

He was unable to receive a fair trial as a result, he argued. Mehajer has also alleged to have “new evidence” against the credibility of his ex-partner and an exhibit tendered during the trial.

Further, there was a “striking discrepancy” between the custodial conditions the sentencing judge believed he’d be subject to and what he actually faced behind bars, his grounds of appeal argue.

His non-parole period was “manifestly excessive”, with the former Auburn mayor citing the “discrete nature” of the offences among other factors in his argument.

He is facing court on Monday, weeks after his failed bid for more time to recover photos from his phone.

More to come …

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