Salim Mehajer granted bail after two months behind bars

Justice Fagan described the allegedly staged crash as an "unusual" and "inept" attempt to avoid a "relatively minor assault charge".

The court heard on Thursday that Mehajer had been charged with a fresh count of perverting the course of justice for allegedly lying to Burwood Local Court by claiming he would be sacked from his job as a building manager unless he was released on bail.

The Easter long weekend poses an obstacle to Salim Mehajer being released from prison before Tuesday.
Photo: Daniel Munoz

Police Prosecutor Rossi Kotsis said Mehajer did not perform that role and it would have involved him "firing himself from his [own] employment".

Mehajer's barrister, former District Court judge Michael Finnane, QC, told Justice Fagan his client was being "pursued all over Sydney for debts" and needed to be released on bail to deal with "a whole series of cases, both civil and criminal".

Opposing the application, Mr Kotsis said the Lidcombe property developer was a flight risk and a letter had been intercepted in prison suggesting a plane could be made available to Mehajer in Queensland.

He said Mehajer had committed a range of "infractions" while in custody, including being in receipt of "contraband items" from his sister, possessing prescription medication belonging to other prisoners, and having his mother transfer calls from him to the partner of Kieran Loveridge, who was jailed for the one-punch killing of Sydney teenager Thomas Kelly.

Mr Kotsis said Mehajer, who was declared bankrupt on March 20, had "demonstrated trappings of wealth" and only had to "click his fingers" to acquire helicopters and other expensive vehicles.

He said Mehajer was prepared to "do anything or say anything to avoid the inevitable consequences of his actions".

But Justice Fagan said he did not "want to be diverted by Mr Mehajer's posturing" about his wealth into making an erroneous bail decision.

He said a psychiatrist's report tendered in court spoke of Mehajer's "grandiose self-promotion".

Justice Fagan said "the worst that he's done is the very unfortunate incident with the taxi driver" and asked if the Crown case was that Mehajer was at the centre of "a snowballing of idiocy".

"Yes," Mr Kotsis replied.

Justice Fagan imposed a range of bail conditions, including a $200,000 surety and twice-daily reporting at Bankstown Police Station. Mehajer is also banned from leaving NSW.

The Easter long weekend poses an obstacle to Mehajer being released from prison before Tuesday.