Salim Mehajer, the disgraced former property developer and Auburn deputy mayor, has issued a stark warning to former associates as he prepares to release an explosive autobiography. The bankrupt ex-councillor, who walked out of Sydney's John Morony Correctional Centre last July after a five-year prison stint, has vowed that "not many have made it out unscathed" in his forthcoming tell-all book.
From Prison to Page: The Making of a Memoir
It has been almost six months since Mehajer, 39, was released into the community under strict parole conditions. His incarceration began in November 2020 for lying to a court, with consecutive sentences added for a string of other offences, including a domestic violence conviction against an ex-partner. Since his highly publicised release, where he was trailed by media across Sydney, Mehajer has maintained a relatively low profile, breaking silence only through his private Instagram account, court appearances, and occasional public errands.
This week, he confirmed to his 128,000 followers that he has been diligently writing his memoirs and plans to share several extracts ahead of the book's publication. "I'm still waiting on legal advice clearance … Nobody has been spared," he wrote, signing off with an ominous upside-down smiley face emoji. Potential targets are believed to include former business partners, developers, legal professionals he feels failed him, ex-partners, and political rivals from his time on the now-defunct Auburn Council.
Life Behind Bars and Legal Battles Ahead
Mehajer's time in prison included stays at Sydney's notorious Silverwater maximum-security facility and a week in Goulburn Supermax. He recently revealed to news.com.au that he refused protective custody to avoid mixing with "rapists, paedophiles and informants," stating, "I lost my freedom but I was not going to lose my dignity." He passed the time by studying law, entering what he calls "fight mode," and writing extensively—sometimes up to 100 pages a week—documenting his thoughts and future plans.
As part of his attempt to rehabilitate his tarnished reputation, Mehajer has launched an appeal against his domestic violence convictions and sentence, which he claims "simply didn't happen." He will seek a retrial in the Court of Criminal Appeal and has not ruled out taking his fight to the High Court of Australia. The NSW State Parole Authority approved his release last July, concluding his rehabilitation would be better served in the community under the supervision of a psychologist and corrections officers.
Strict Parole and a Notorious Past
Mehajer's parole conditions are stringent. He must:
- Undergo drug and alcohol testing.
- Participate in domestic violence programs if directed.
- Avoid all communication with outlaw motorcycle gang members or associates.
- Refrain from contacting his domestic violence victim.
- Avoid travelling to the NSW Central Coast.
Financially, he remains bankrupt until at least May 2026 after a failed appeal. Under bankruptcy terms, he cannot own a car worth more than $9,600 and faces strict borrowing restrictions. Mehajer first rocketed to public infamy in 2015 for his extravagant wedding to Aysha Learmonth, a $1 million spectacle featuring a helicopter arrival, luxury car motorcade, and doves. The event sparked fury for closing a Lidcombe street and distributing fake flyers to neighbours.
Unapologetic at the time, Mehajer told media he aspired to be the next "superstar." Now, from prison memoirist to appellant, he is scripting a very different chapter, one where he battles to rewrite his own legacy while promising to expose those he believes wronged him.
