Latest news with #ZaliBurrows
News.com.au
7 days ago
- News.com.au
Salim Mehajer's phone claim in fight against domestic violence charges after jail release
Salim Mehajer has used a bizarre claim about needing to go to an Apple Store to make a failed bid to secure more time in his fight against domestic violence charges. The former Auburn mayor was found guilty of fraud and domestic violence matters after punching his ex-partner in the head during an argument in his car, squeezing her hand and crushing her phone that she was holding, suffocating her by putting his hand over her nose and mouth until she passed out, and threatening to kill her mother. A jury found him guilty of six charges, including assault, intimidation and suffocating, and he was later found guilty of creating false documents by forging the signatures of his solicitor, Zali Burrows, and his sister during a separate trial. Mehajer was sentenced to a maximum of seven years and nine months in jail for the domestic violence and fraud offences, and was released from prison last Friday upon the expiry of his non-parole period for the offences. He's since lodged an appeal to fight the domestic violence charges. Mehajer beamed into the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal via video link on Thursday morning where he attempted to push back his hearing in August by three weeks, arguing he needed to go to an Apple Store to recover photos from his phone. He claimed the woman had his ID, and he needed time to get new identification to allow him to go to an Apple Store and recover photos from his iCloud to use as evidence to support his affidavit. He alleged the complainant had edited photos tendered during the trial which depicted bruising from an assault. Sporting a navy blue suit, white shirt and slicked-back hair, he claimed his phone had been 'remotely deleted', and he hoped attending an Apple Store would help him with supporting evidence. He sought a delay of up to three weeks, however the Crown opposed, arguing the hearing date had already been changed to accommodate Mehajer's release from custody and that the issue had already been raised at trial. 'It's not a fresh issue,' the Crown prosecutor told the court. 'The Crown's position is very firmly this: it is too late to be raising it at this stage, this is entirely speculative … the appeal can proceed.' If a delay was granted, the hearing would likely need to be moved to November due to the availability of the crown, to which Mehajer told registrar Peter Clayton he wasn't seeking such a lengthy delay. Mr Clayton said if Mehajer hadn't dropped his bid for a later hearing date he would have rejected it, noting three weeks to obtain new ID was 'optimistic, in any event'. He confirmed the hearing will remain on August 4, with Mehajer telling the court he intends to appear in person. Mehajer was last week spotted visiting Paramatta Westfield, Service NSW for a new drivers' license, and a cosmetic dentist in Hornsby following his release from John Morony Correction Centre at Berkshire Park last week, according to the Daily Mail. He'd been in prison for just short of five years, as he'd also been serving back-to-back sentences for multiple offences. As per a long list of parole conditions, Mehajer will need to participate in any domestic violence programs where directed, receive ongoing treatment from a private psychologist, and also undergo drug and alcohol testing. Mehajer's lawyer Zawat Zreika last week said the former Auburn Mayor's focus is on his family. 'Mr Mehajer has now been released from custody,' she said. 'This is a long awaited and deeply personal moment for him and his family. 'He asks that their privacy be respected during this time.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Salim's big phone claim after jail release
Salim Mehajer has lost a bid for more time in his fight against domestic violence charges, having pushed for an extension to sort out new ID so he could get help from the Apple Store and pull together evidence from iCloud. The former Auburn Mayor was found guilty for fraud and domestic violence matters after punching his ex-partner in the head during an argument and threatening to kill her mother. Mehajer represented himself during the trial, and a jury found him guilty of six charges including multiple counts of assault and one each of intimidation and suffocating. He had punched the woman in the head during an argument in his car, squeezed her hand and crushed her phone she was holding, suffocated her by putting his hand over her nose and mouth until she passed out, and threatened to kill her mother. He was also found guilty of creating false documents by forging the signatures of his solicitor, Zali Burrows, and his sister, during a separate trial. Mehajer was sentenced to a maximum of seven years and nine months in jail for the domestic violence and fraud offences. He was released from prison last Friday upon the expiry of his non-parole period for the offences, although he'd been in prison for just short of five years as he'd also been serving back to back sentences for multiple offences. He's since lodged an appeal to fight the domestic violence charges, despite being released from prison last week. Mehajer did not attend the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal in person on Thursday morning, instead opting to beam in through an audiovisual link. Sporting a navy blue suit, white shirt and slicked back hair, Mehajer asked for his hearing on August 4 to be pushed back amid 'issues' with his ID. He claimed the complainant had his ID, so he'd need to get new identification to allow him to go to the Apple Store and obtain further material to support his affidavit. Mehajer claimed his phone had been 'remotely deleted', and that he hoped he would be able to provide some supporting evidence — namely, photos from his iCloud server — after attending the Apple Store. He sought a delay of up to three weeks, however the Crown opposed, arguing the hearing date had already been changed to accommodate Mehajer's release from custody and that the issue had already been raised at trial. 'It's not a fresh issue,' the Crown prosecutor told the court. 'The Crown's position is very firmly this: it is too late to be raising it at this stage, this is entirely speculative … the appeal can proceed.' If a delay was granted, the hearing would likely need to be moved to November due to the availability of the crown, to which Mehajer told registrar Peter Clayton he wasn't seeking such a lengthy delay. Mr Clayton said if Mehajer hadn't dropped his bid for a later hearing date he would have rejected it, noting three weeks to obtain new ID was 'optimistic, in any event'. He confirmed the hearing will remain on August 4, with Mehajer telling the court he intends to appear in person. Mehajer was last week spotted visiting Paramatta Westfield, Service NSW for a new drivers' license, and a cosmetic dentist in Hornsby following his release from John Morony Correction Centre at Berkshire Park last week, according to the Daily Mail. Mehajer will need to abide by a long list of parole conditions following his release, including participating in any domestic violence programs where directed, ongoing treatment from a private psychologist, and drug and alcohol testing. Mehajer's lawyer Zawat Zreika last week said the former Auburn Mayor's focus is on his family. 'Mr Mehajer has now been released from custody,' she said. 'This is a long awaited and deeply personal moment for him and his family. 'He asks that their privacy be respected during this time.'
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Daily Mail
That might soften the blow! Bruce Lehrmann shares a wine with his lawyer - after failing to get $50,000 out of Daily Mail Australia for absurd reason
Bruce Lehrmann has been pictured enjoying a glass of wine with lawyer Zali Burrows in a cosy Tasmanian bar after yet another major court loss. The former political staffer and his solicitor were spotted having an early evening drink at Mary Mary in Hobart's fashionable Salamanca Place, before heading next door to Peppina Italian restaurant. Lehrmann and Ms Burrows shared a bottle of red with their meal before leaving the Parliament Square precinct so that she could catch a flight back to Sydney on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Lehrmann had sent Ms Burrows along to Hobart Magistrates Court to seek a restraining order against a Daily Mail Australia reporter, after he unsuccessfully demanded $50,000 in damages for a story he didn't like. It is now 15 months since Federal Court judge Michael Lee found on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann raped his one-time colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House. Six months after Justice Lee ruled Lehrmann had not been defamed by Network Ten during an interview with Ms Higgins, the Centrelink recipient was crying poor in the same court. Responding to Ten's demand Lehrmann provide $200,000 security to appeal against Justice Lee's decision, Ms Burrows said her client was 'pretty much unemployable' and did not have the funds. 'The only shot he'd probably ever have in making money is by going on OnlyFans or something silly like that,' Ms Burrows told the court. Justice Wendy Adams ultimately found Lehrmann did not have to put up the $200,000, but he still faces picking up $2million of Ten's legal costs for the original trial if he loses his appeal. Last week, Lehrmann demanded Daily Mail Australia pay him $50,000 plus legal costs, and take down a story he claimed portrayed him in a bad light. Lehrmann also sought an interim restraining order against reporter Karleigh Smith who had written the piece about his new life with a 45-year-old mother-of-two in a Tasmanian hamlet. Daily Mail Australia did not take down the story, did not pay Lehrmann a cent and successfully challenged the interim order on Tuesday after a hearing in Hobart Magistrates Court. When Ten sought the $200,000 security from Lehrmann, Ms Burrows described her client as 'arguably Australia's most hated man' and said he was too 'scared' to appear in person in the Federal Court. On Tuesday, he again chose to stay away from proceedings when Ms Burrows sought the interim restraining order. The court heard the order would cover Lehrmann as well as Kelly Walker, with whom the 30-year-old had been living at Port Huon, about 55km south-west of Hobart. Lehrmann has been acting as a male nanny to Ms Walker's two sons, who are said to call him 'Uncle Bruce', which was the subject of a story published by Daily Mail Australia on July 1. Lehrmann and Ms Burrows shared a bottle of red with their meal before leaving the Parliament Square precinct so that she could catch a flight back to Sydney on Tuesday That story ran under the headline which began: 'Bruce Lehrmann's last chance saloon'. 'We found the despised party boy hiding at the end of the Earth - and he's shacked up with a single mum who has a LOT to say to the local haters,' it continued. Lehrmann outlined in an affidavit produced for the restraining order application the 'extraordinary and unorthodox' lengths he had gone to avoid publication attention. 'I have been the subject of intense and ongoing media scrutiny since 2021, much of it vile, false and extremely hurtful,' he wrote. 'I have received credible threats to my safety, online abuse, and been physically stalked by journalists or private individuals on multiple occasions. 'I have long suffered mental health trauma because of the coverage, and this has been well documented publicly and in the Federal Court of Australia. 'As a result, I take extraordinary and unorthodox precautions to ensure my safety and wellbeing.' Ms Burrows claimed Lehrmann had suffered significant distress and psychological injury as a result of being 'pursued' as part of Daily Mail Australia's investigation. 'My client will be providing evidence of personal injury to his mental condition,' she told magistrate Jackie Hartnett. Ms Burrows claimed Smith and a photographer 'dangerously' followed Lehrmann in a car on a dirt road, which Smith has vehemently denied. Barrister Nic Edmondson, acting for Smith, said the Sydney-based reporter had only visited Tasmania for work once - to write the story about Lehrmann - and she had not returned to the state since. Mr Edmondson submitted a restraining order risked unfairly impacting on Smith's freedom of speech and would prevent her writing future stories about Lehrmann. 'She is entitled to engage in the type of conduct that she did, in following Mr Lehrmann and in photographing Mr Lehrmann,' Mr Edmondson said. Ms Burrows claimed Lehrmann had suffered further psychological harm because Smith was represented by Mark O'Brien Legal, a law firm which had previously acted for him. Mark O'Brien Legal has been engaged for more than a decade by Daily Mail Australia to provide legal services to the publisher and its journalists. Ms Hartnett rejected Lehrmann's application for an interim order and set the matter down for a November 13 hearing. 'I am not satisfied on the material before me that an interim order is appropriate,' she said. Hours later, Lehrmann and Ms Burrows were pictured together by a freelance photographer who had not been commissioned by Daily Mail Australia and had offered the images to other media outlets. Asked to comment on what had happened in court, Lehrmann said: 'We are very grateful to the magistrate for getting a fast hearing on the case.' Ms Burrows is also representing Lehrmann in another case in which he has pleaded not guilty to stealing a Toyota Prado from a farm in the Huon Valley, south of Hobart. That matter returns to court in September. Lehrmann sued Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson over a February 2021 interview on The Project in which Ms Higgins alleged she had been raped on a couch at Parliament House almost two years earlier. While Lehrmann was not named, he claimed he was easily identifiable as the onetime colleague Ms Higgins said had sexually assaulted her in the office of Senator Linda Reynolds. The defamation case came after Lehrmann, who has always denied raping Ms Higgins, faced a criminal trial which was abandoned due to juror misconduct in 2022. Lehrmann is separately accused of twice raping a woman in October 2021 the morning after they met at a strip club in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. Ms Burrows filed an application in Toowoomba District Court in June seeking a permanent stay in Lehrmann's pending trial on the rape charges. Lehrmann's appeal against Justice Lee's decision in the defamation matter is listed for hearing in the Federal Court on August 20.
ABC News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Bruce Lehrmann's bid to have Toowoomba rape charges halted will be heard next month
Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann's bid to have rape charges permanently halted will be back in a Queensland court next month. An application by the 30-year-old, seeking to have the rape case stopped, was mentioned briefly in the District Court in Ipswich today. Mr Lehrmann appeared via telephone hook-up, as did his Sydney-based lawyer, Zali Burrows, and the Crown prosecutor. But the substance of Mr Lehrmann's new application, for a stay of proceedings and a declaration that intercepted phone calls between Mr Lehrmann's lawyers and Queensland police were "illegally obtained", was not discussed at length. Instead, Judge Dennis Lynch ordered that Mr Lehrmann's lawyers file an outline of arguments and material by July 14 and the Crown respond by July 21, ahead of a hearing in the Toowoomba District Court later in the month. Mr Lehrmann faces two counts of rape, alleged to have occurred in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, in October 2021. Today's brief hearing came after Mr Lehrmann lodged the new application earlier this week to have the matter halted. The ABC can reveal that Mr Lehrmann has also now asked Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) to launch an inquiry into the way the rape case was investigated and prosecuted. Mr Lehrmann has requested that the corruption body conduct a review and investigation into police, the prosecution, and government officials linked to the case. A CCC spokesperson said: "The CCC does not confirm or comment on any complaint or investigation, referrals to other agencies or matters before the court." Mr Lehrmann's District Court application and the CCC complaint follow weeks of legal wrangling between the Crown and Mr Lehrmann's lawyer. Mr Lehrmann has not yet been required to enter a plea, and the matter returns to court in Toowoomba on July 25.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lehrmann pushes to stop rape trial
Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann has taken a dramatic step to halt his upcoming rape trial, filing an application that alleges police unlawfully recorded conversations with his legal team. The 29-year-old former Liberal Party staffer was charged with two counts of rape over an alleged incident in Toowoomba in October 2021. Mr Lehrmann's Sydney-based lawyer, Zali Burrows, lodged a fresh application in the Toowoomba District Court on Monday, requesting a permanent stay of proceedings. It followed the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) filing an affidavit last Friday that the defence argues failed to include all relevant material in the case. The matter was briefly mentioned in the Ipswich District Court on Wednesday, as the Toowoomba District Court was not sitting. Mr Lehrmann and Ms Burrows both appeared via phone. The permanent stay application stems from allegations that police unlawfully recorded phone calls with Mr Lehrmann's lawyer. According to the defence, an officer failed to initially disclose six items, including four audio recordings of conversations between her and Mr Lehrmann's former legal representative, two recordings involving the alleged victim, and one with a witness. Judge Dennis Lynch ordered all material the parties intend to rely on, including affidavits and written submissions, to be filed by July 14 for the applicant and July 21 for the respondent. He adjourned the case to the previously scheduled date of July 25 when the permanent stay application will be heard alongside a separate defence application for full disclosure of police material. While Queensland law permits individuals to record conversations they are a party to, NSW law, where all of Mr Lehrmann's legal representatives are based, requires consent from all parties or specific exemptions. In May, Ms Burrows lodged an application seeking full disclosure of all material in the Queensland Police Service's possession. The ODPP's affidavit filed last week was in response to that request. If the permanent stay application succeeds, the rape charges against Mr Lehrmann could be dropped. Mr Lehrmann's bail was formally extended, and the matter is scheduled to be heard on July 25 at the Toowoomba District Court. He has indicted that he will defend the charges but is yet to enter any pleas.
