Salim Mehajer, the former deputy mayor of Auburn Council, has issued a statement following his recent release on parole after serving five years of a seven-year and nine-month sentence for multiple offences, including domestic violence against his ex-partner and forgery of his lawyer’s signature.
On his private Instagram account, Mehajer expressed gratitude to the state parole authority for his release and reassured his commitment to adhering to the conditions set before him. He also thanked his family, friends, and legal team for their unwavering support throughout his imprisonment.
In his post, Mehajer remarked that he would not be able to comment further on his situation due to an upcoming appeal scheduled in three weeks. He also defended himself further by stating that during his previous ten-year relationship with Aysha Learmonth, he had never faced accusations of violence against her. He expressed frustration at the media’s ongoing references to this chapter of his life, implying that Learmonth had no connection to his current legal troubles.
Readers may find it notable that Learmonth had previously filed an apprehended violence order (AVO) against Mehajer in 2017, following incidents that surfaced in video evidence, leading to threats against her and her family. In 2018, he was also convicted of breaching that AVO. Mehajer’s high-profile wedding to Learmonth in 2015, which reportedly cost over $1 million, garnered significant media attention.
Most recently, in 2023, Mehajer faced separate trials during which he was found guilty of offences occurring between April 2018 and October 2020, including more incidents of domestic violence against a different former partner. His release on parole has sparked renewed interest in his tumultuous life and legal battles.