Man, 20, brandishes imitation firearm at woman waiting ay Berkeley bus stop

Police documents tendered to Wollongong Lcoal Court said a woman was waiting at a bus stop on Winnima Way when 20-year-old Hussien Mehdi rode towards her on a pushbike on the afternoon of October 18.

When close to the woman, Mehdi pulled an imitation pistol from under his shirt and pointed it directly at her. He then put the gun back under his clothing and rode off.

The incident was witnessed by a male driver who had been travelling behind Medhi and was forced to slow down when his bike veered onto the roadway.

The man’s vehicle was also fitted with a dash cam, which was recording at the time.

Meanwhile, the driver contact police, fearing Mehdi’s gun was real.

Police responded immediately and began patrolling the area. They discovered a pushbike matching Mehdi’s outside a house in Holborn Street.

Mehdi came out of the house and was arrested without incident.

Officers were scathing of Mehdi’s actions in their report to the court, noting it was mid-afternoon and the bus stop was close to a busy shopping centre, the Berkeley swimming pool and a service station.

“Members of the public and police in the first instance [were] not to know if the firearm was an imitation firearm, a soft air pistol or an actual 9mm semi-air pistol,”arresting officers said.

“The matter is not that different to a number of other similar incidents that have occurred in the Lake Illawarra Police District where the attending police are not aware if this is an ‘active armed offender’ situation or not.

“The potential for psychological harm to police officers and perhaps even more importantly, the female victim….is concerning to say the least.”

He was charged with possessing a firearm and released on conditional bail, however the court heard Mehdi was arrested last week for breaching that bail after failing to report to police on one occasion and not living at his nominated address.

He was granted bail again, this time with the addition of a nighttime curfew.

The case returns to court - for sentencing or annulment proceedings - on February 20.