A Sydney driver accused of leading police on a high-speed chase in Guildford before spectacularly crashing into three parked cars allegedly said he was being “an idiot” when he made the split-second decision to flee from police.
Ayman Ajouz, 26, fronted Parramatta Local Court on Thursday for the first time since he was granted conditional bail two weeks ago, after a dramatic early-morning arrest that saw him dragged from his high-powered Holden HSV Commodore by Raptor Squad police.
Video footage of the incident, obtained by media outlets, allegedly shows two officers pull Ajouz from the driver’s seat and wrestle him to the ground with force.
Police will allege they were patrolling Woodville Rd just before 2am on May 17 when they spotted the Commodore travelling northbound at almost double the signposted 60km/hr speed limit.
Officers activated the police car’s lights and sirens in a bid to pull the Commodore over, but it is alleged Ajouz sped off, prompting the officers to give chase.
According to police, Ajouz at one stage allegedly turned his headlights off and crossed to the wrong side of the road in a bid to evade capture.
It is alleged the Commodore turned into Rhodes Ave and struck a speed hump, causing Ajouz to lose control of the vehicle and spear into three parked cars.
During his arrest, Ajouz allegedly told police “I’m dumb, I was just being an idiot”, and said “I genuinely don’t know” when asked why he’d failed to stop.
Ajouz was taken to Granville Police Station, where he was charged with engaging in a police pursuit.
He was granted conditional bail.
In court on Thursday, defence lawyer Mohammad Algalele, from Sydney Triumph Lawyers, revealed his client would attempt to have the charge dismissed under mental health legislation.
Under section 14 of the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act, a judge can make an order dismissing a charge if they are satisfied the person was suffering from a mental health impairment or cognitive impairment at the time.
Ajouz attempted to hide his face from the media as he left the courthouse in the company of his lawyer and a friend.
The case will return to court in August.