Latest news with #Hornsby
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE First stop disgraced Salim Mehajer made minutes after walking free from jail - even before he'd seen his family
Bankrupt property developer and disgraced ex-politician Salim Mehajer walked free from jail on Friday - and headed straight to a cosmetic dentist to get his teeth fixed. Mehajer didn't even stop off to see his family at home before speeding down the M2 to visit a dental surgeon in Hornsby in Sydney 's north to repair his prison teeth. He made a brief diversion on the way there to get a new driver's licence from Service NSW in Westfield Parramatta before spending an hour getting dental work. Mehajer, 39, was notorious for the cosmetic work he had done before his downfall, with gleaming Hollywood white teeth and apparent facial fillers as his hallmark style. The disgraced former deputy mayor tried to dodge Daily Mail Australia by jumping out of his black 2018 Mercedes S450 limo at traffic lights near the surgery. He emerged from the surgery just after 1pm - wearing $900 Louis Vuitton sunglasses - but brushed off questions about his health through clenched lips with a muttered: 'Good, thanks.' Mehajer, wearing a blue suit and pink-striped tie and sporting a manbun-style ponytail, appeared to have added a few centimetres to his waistline while inside jail. His suit appeared crumpled and ill-fitting after his five years in prison, no longer tailored to his previously svelte frame. He emerged from the dentist after 1pm refusing to smile or bear his teeth and brushed off questions about his health through clenched lips with a muttered: 'Good, thanks' He also seemed to have been given a recent prison haircut, despite his ponytail, with hair closely trimmed at the sides. Mehajer politely opened the door for another client leaving the clinic complex, which also houses cosmetic surgery salons, before heading back to a waiting chauffeur. He had earlier dismissed questions about his future as he walked through the Parramatta shopping centre to the Service NSW outlet. 'I'm going to respectfully decline to comment,' he said. The one-time millionaire, who flaunted his wealth with an extravagant wedding and luxury marble mansion, had earlier tried to dodge cameras when he left the John Morony Correctional Centre in Windsor, 55km northwest of Sydney on Friday morning. The eldest of Amal and Mohamad Mehajer's eight children, will be relying on his parents' support if he follows through on his plan to rebuild his failed property empire. The former Auburn council deputy mayor has been in prison since November 2020, when he was jailed for lying to a court, and has served back-to-back sentences for multiple offences. The NSW State Parole Authority (SPA) decided last month to grant his release on conditions including that he undergo drug and alcohol testing, participate in domestic violence programs if directed, and not communicate with any outlaw motorcycle gang bikies or associates. He is also banned from contacting his DV victim or entering the Central Coast. Mehajer was declared bankrupt during a previous prison stint in 2018 when his property business, SM Project Developments, was liquidated. Creditors included the Australian Taxation Office and the company which built the marble staircase at his former lavish home in Frances Street, Lidcombe. He was locked up again in 2020 after he was found guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of making a false statement under oath. While behind bars in 2023, Mehajer was again convicted in separate trials for unrelated fraud and domestic violence offences. A jury found Mehajer guilty of multiple counts of assault, one count of intimidation and one count of suffocation relating to his abuse of an ex-partner, and he was sentenced to a maximum of seven years and nine months in jail. He was convicted of assaulting the victim by punching her in the head in his car, suffocating her with his hand over her nose and mouth until she passed out, crushing her hand as she held her phone and threatening to kill her mother. At a further trial while he was in jail, he was found guilty by a jury of fraud on two counts each of making a false document and using a false document. The jury convicted him of creating false statutory declarations and affidavits by forging the signatures of his solicitor, Zali Burrows, and one of his six sisters. Mehajer overcame a raft of objections, including the risk of him reoffending, his refusal to change his attitude and his continued denial of some of his crimes. In granting him a release, SPA said Mehajer had completed all possible programs in prison. It determined his rehabilitation was better served in the community under the supervision of a psychologist and community corrections officers. His parole conditions include being of good behaviour, and ongoing treatment from a private psychologist. Mehajer first made headlines with his over-the-top wedding in 2015, when a reported $1million of gaudy excess closed off a Sydney street. Mehajer and his young bride 'Aysha' - former Wollongong beautician April Learmonth - were married amid a procession of Harley Davidsons, rented Lamborghinis, a helicopter overhead, and a reception with 10,000 red roses and gold-dusted desserts. The flashy party had been delayed until Mehajer's father made his exit from prison, after being released early from a maximum three and half years' sentence. Mohamad Mehajer was convicted of conspiring to defraud the National Australia Bank of more than $3million after attempting to bribe a bank employee to approve a loan that overstated the value of the family property company. Salim's marriage lasted a year. In 2016, Aysha took out a restraining order against him, and thereafter the attention-seeking fraudster became embroiled in legal and financial troubles. Now it's his dad's turn to help his son, who he has previously described as 'the brain' and 'the head' of the family.
ABC News
15-07-2025
- ABC News
NSW Police officer charged with possessing child abuse, bestiality material
A police officer has been suspended without pay after he was charged over the possession of child abuse and bestiality material, and for alleged misconduct. NSW Police said it began investigating reports of unauthorised access of the police computer system in March this year, before seizing the electronic devices of a senior constable in May. Mitchell Leslie, 38, was arrested on Tuesday morning and refused bail to appear at Hornsby Local Court that afternoon. It's alleged the officer had the child abuse and bestiality material on his personal phone and laptop. The prosecution told the court he was in possession of "potentially over 200,000 images" of child abuse material. Mr Leslie was charged with misconduct in public office, two counts of possessing child abuse material, person possessing bestiality material and three counts of access/modify restricted data held in computer. Court documents alleged he unlawfully accessed the confidential NSW Police Force computer policing system database and unlawfully accessed restricted data. Among allegations of misconduct, Mr Leslie has been accused of protecting his partner from being detected driving unlawfully, being "complicit" in his partner's brother avoiding apprehension of domestic violence offences, and misusing a police vehicle. Court documents also alleged he provided his partner with a letter on NSW Police letterhead for the Department of Communities and Justice to "assist with prioritised residence relocation". The documents said he did so "being outside the scope of his duty and a conflict of interest". His barrister Imogan Hogan applied for bail for reasons including that he was receiving mental health treatment and intended to be transferred to an in-patient PTSD program. Ms Hogan raised concerns over his custody, including that he was involved in the arrests of outlaw motorcycle gang members while he was part of the Raptor Squad. The prosecution argued the allegations he faced were "very serious" and that releasing him on bail or imposing conditions would be a risk. "Due to the unacceptable risk of further serious offending and interference with evidence and witnesses … there are significant bail concerns," the prosecution said. The magistrate refused his bail application "due to the unacceptable risk". He is suspended without pay, and an urgent review of his employment status is underway. Mr Leslie will next appear in court on September 10.
Rhyl Journal
07-07-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Company which owns Rhyl homeless property avoids strike-off
In June, the Journal reported that Social Value Housing, a Liverpool-based housing association, was made subject to an active proposal to strike the company off the register. It owns 35 River Street, also known as Berwyn Guest House, which it leased to Rochdale-based Sanctuary Trust Ltd last July. But strike-off action has been discontinued after John Hornsby, 62, was appointed a new director of the company. Mr Hornsby is one of two trustees at Liverpool-based CG Community Council, which has been made subject to a Charity Commission investigation 'to look into concerns about its governance and financial management'. Social Value Housing also owned 44 River Street (Riverside Guest House), having bought it for £295,000 in May 2023, but this was sold for £150,000 to BT Asset Holdings Ltd in April. 44 River Street, Rhyl (Image: Newsquest) Peter Mitchell, who was a director of Social Value Housing before resigning on May 1, was declared bankrupt at Liverpool County Court on May 13. Mr Mitchell was also a former trustee of CG Community Council, and was a director of various groups under the 'Big Help' umbrella, which also previously provided homeless accommodation in Rhyl. One of those, Big Help Project, is also currently subject to a Charity Commission inquiry after a significant increase in its reported income was identified. Both Big Help Project and CG Community Council were also formerly charity tenants of property investor Home Reit, meanwhile. The only other active director at Social Value Housing is Joe Birley – he is also an active director at Big Help Green, Big Help Group, Big Help Trading Co Ltd, and Big Help Homes CIC. The Journal asked the Charity Commission if it is aware of the links between CG Community Council and Big Help Project. A Charity Commission spokesperson responded: 'As the inquiry into CG Community Council is ongoing, we are unable to make any comments beyond what was in our press release when the inquiry was opened. 'It's usual for us to publish a report detailing our findings upon the conclusion of the inquiry.' Its initial press release stated: 'CG Community Council was established in the 1960s with the object of improving the lives of people living in Croxteth and Gillmoss, to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for health, recreation and leisure-time. 'Information obtained by the Commission through its regulatory compliance work suggests CG Community Council property may be at risk. 'While the charity holds the leasehold for 16 properties, it recorded nil income and expenditure in its annual return for the financial year ending March, 2023 and it has failed to submit financial returns for the financial year ending March 31, 2024. 'The regulator has already issued an order to prevent CG Community Council property from being sold or otherwise disposed of without the prior consent of the commission.' Last July, seven Rhyl properties, including 35 River Street, were listed for auction with estate agents Allsop 'by order of a charity'. But none of the relevant legal documents were attached to their auction pages, and they were subsequently withdrawn from auction. Contrary to Land Registry documents, Mr Mitchell told the Journal last July that Social Value Housing owned all seven of these Rhyl properties – which are based on River Street, Vale Road and East Parade. In August, three of these properties were put back up for auction via estate agents Sutton Kersh. But no legal documents were attached to these properties' auction pages on this occasion, either, so all three properties' auctions were postponed. A Sutton Kersh representative said they were pulled from auction because it didn't have 'formal instruction' for them. Sutton Kersh has now re-listed one of those properties for auction (on July 24) – 48 River Street – which is owned by Big Help Homes CIC, which went into administration in March and is understood to owe £8.8million to its creditors. On its website, Sutton Kersh states that 48 River Street is being auctioned 'on behalf of the administrators'.
ABC News
21-05-2025
- ABC News
Sydney commuters frustrated by delays on train network after outage chaos
Frustrated Sydney commuters have shared tales of chaotic crowds, a lack of communication and bafflingly quiet services on Wednesday morning. Sydney's rail network has been in chaos after a train became entangled with live wires during Tuesday's peak-hour rush. The network is not expected to get back to normal until Thursday morning's peak with major disruptions expected throughout Wednesday. Ben Ivey from Hornsby was kicking himself when he remembered he had left his laptop at his Parramatta office, leaving him unable to work from home and having to brave the commute. "It was awful," he said. Mr Ivey usually takes the train from Hornsby to Strathfield where he changes for Parramatta, but when he reached the interchange, he could go no further. "There was nothing at all. The trains were coming, but they weren't heading in the right direction, they were all going to the city," he told ABC News. "I must have been there for half an hour. And then they said no trains were going and if you're heading west, you need to take the bus. "Then the 526 bus was full, so we had to wait for another. It was chaotic and incredibly frustrating." Sydney Trains are working to get six tracks on the network operating as normal. Mr Ivey said his normal commute was an hour, but today it was almost two. But he said the mood among his fellow travellers "wasn't too bad". "No-one was yelling and screaming and carrying on, it was OK." And there is one benefit of the experience, he added: a very peaceful office and hopefully, the chance to leave work early. Alex Bennett said he was staggered by the lack of information from Sydney Trains this morning, which he believes made things even harder for Sydneysiders trying to plan their route and businesses relying on staff. After reading on his third-party travel app that 80 per cent of trains were cancelled, he arrived at Waitara Station to learn that no trains were scheduled at all. "There was also a message saying, 'The next train doesn't stop at this platform' and a recorded announcement saying the same thing," he told ABC News. But the communication turned out to be wrong, he said. "I was only there for two or three minutes when a train stopped. So I got on and the train went straight through to the city. So my trip was actually really efficient because of phantom trains." He was surprised to see the train empty, the North Shore Line platforms he passed through ghost-like, and the city unusually quiet. "Everyone was expecting pandemonium so people thought they couldn't work and didn't even go to the station. These poor communications have real impacts on businesses." Sydney Trains has been contacted for comment, while NSW Premier Chris Minns said he understood people's frustration. "I think the commuting public would have been understanding of [the technical faults] if there hadn't been a persistent lack of reliability on the public transport network over a long period of time," he said. Alex said it was great that Sydney also had the Metro, which runs on a separate network, as a back-up, but it was simply unable to cope with the overflow. "People coming into the city by Metro today said it was like sardines; they were absolutely jammed." On his commute home last night, shortly after the incident at Strathfield, he was unable to even enter Gadigal Metro station on Park Street. "They were waiting for people to come out before they'd let anyone back into the station." One female government employee from Gosford, who did not want to be named, gave up on her hour-and-a-half commute to Parramatta altogether this morning. "I was listening to ABC Radio, which was saying most trains weren't operating from Strathfield. So I ended up turning around from Gosford and going home. "I decided it was going to take too long." She said Gosford Station was quieter than normal this morning, suggesting others had felt the same. "It looked like people had decided not to tempt fate." She had recently returned to communing after eight years and believes the Sydney train network has deteriorated in that time. "When there are issues, it can take hours to actually get anywhere. For a world city, our network can be quite unreliable, particularly when you're travelling long distances." A female teacher, also travelling from the Central Coast, said she had no choice but to brave the network in order to get to her job at Cheltenham High School on Sydney's Upper North Shore. She said trains were "sporadic". "The express from Woy Woy to the City had only four carriages for most trains instead of eight. Trains were only sporadic on the Newcastle line, with many cancelled. "There were no T9 services from Hornsby to Epping so I had to go to Epping and wait half an hour for a bus back to Cheltenham High School." The lack of information made things harder, she added. "Apps did not indicate what was happening and indicator boards were not updated." She said her journey today came after it took her four hours to get home last night, but she admits her ordeal could have been worse. "I have colleagues who've spent $100 on taxis."
News.com.au
17-05-2025
- News.com.au
Major development after 840kg metal spill which caused traffic chaos
The driver of a truck which spilled hundreds of kilos of metal fragments onto the Pacific Motorway on the Central Coast, damaging hundreds of vehicles, will face court later this year after being charged by police. Traffic was brought to a standstill on the Pacific Motorway on May 2 after a truck spilled 840kg of metal pieces across a 30km stretch from Ourimbah to Mount White at about 5am. It was estimated that 300 cars had their tyres punctured as they ran over the tiny pieces of metal, closing the southbound lanes of the highway. It took 10 hours to re-open the highway - prompting some people to abandon their cars - as a massive clean up effort got underway to remove pieces of finely ground steel from the road. There were no reports of injuries and at the time police said it was lucky the incident did not result in a serious accident. At the time, police spoke with the driver of a heavy vehicle tipper which was towing a trailer. On Saturday, the 46-year-old driver was given a court attendance notice after being charged with driving a heavy vehicle not complying with loading requirements. The man is due to appear in Hornsby Local Court on July 10. In a statement earlier this month, trucking company NJ Ashton apologised for the incident. 'We'd like to thank all motorists, and anyone else impacted in some way, for their patience today. The driver is devastated and profoundly apologetic — as are we,' the company said in a statement.
