A man accused of hurling foul-mouthed, anti-Islamic comments - including death threats - towards a family picnicking at Bulli Tops has lashed out in court, claiming he wasn't being properly represented because he was "a black man" and "a Muslim".
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Sharaf-Deen Yusuf's outburst came as the 43-year-old faced Wollongong Local Court, charged with intimidation and driving in a dangerous manner, after he allegedly subjected a family of 20 people - including nine children aged under 10 - to a tirade of verbal abuse.
Details of the incident, at the Bulli Tops lookout on Sunday afternoon, were revealed in police documents as Yusuf sought to be released from custody on Monday morning.
According to police, Yusuf - an Australian citizen of Nigerian background - yelled "F--k the Muslims. You're dead. I'll f--king kill you" towards the family before using his car to drive in circles around the group.
It is understood the family, from western Sydney, were Australian citizens of Muslim faith.
Police said Yusuf was already at the barbecue area, south of Panorama House, when the family arrived in five separate vehicles.
As a man from the group got out of his car, it's alleged Yusuf walked up to the vehicle and took a photo of it, before taking images of the other cars.
Police facts state the man said "excuse me" to Yusuf but he did not respond. The man then placed his hand on Yusuf's jumper and tugged it slightly, prompting him to allegedly reply: "Don't f--king touch me. I'll f--king kill you. You'll be dead."
Police said Yusuf continued yelling and screaming "F--k you. You f--king Muslims. I'll f--king kill you", before running to his car. Worried Yusuf was going to get a weapon, members of the family tried to stop him.
Yusuf allegedly got into his car and, with the driver's window down, drove "very fast" circles around the group about three times.
"As the accused was driving in circles he screamed 'F--k the Muslims. I'm going to kill you. F--k the Muslims. I'm going to kill you'," the facts said.
Members of the family were within two metres of the car, police said, and "due to the wet, muddy conditions of the grass and the speed he was driving, the accused could have lost control of the vehicle and driven into the victim or any of the children nearby".
Yusuf allegedly drove off but returned about five minutes later, driving "a number of laps" past the family before being stopped by police.
He was arrested and taken to Wollongong police station, where he declined a police interview.
The police facts said Yusuf supplied a Figtree address but it appeared he had no fixed address and was living in the vehicle used in the incident.
Yusuf and the family were not known to each other, police said.
In applying for bail, Yusuf's Legal Aid solicitor Paul Cramer told the court his client denied the allegation he took photos of the cars.
Mr Cramer described the comments allegedly made by Yusuf as "distasteful", but suggested they were "perhaps not the worst intimidation" Magistrate Michael Stoddart would have seen before the court.
Magistrate Stoddart disagreed, citing the threats to kill allegedly made by Yusuf in the presence of children and the fact he was already on bail for other matters, including intimidation.
"It's an atrocious set of facts," the magistrate said.
"One would imagine the victims would have been very scared."
In opposing bail, police prosecutor Sergeant Anna Comer described the incident as a "racially-motivated crime" and said the prosecution case against Yusuf was strong.
Sergeant Comer said there were a number of witnesses, part of the incident had been filmed on a GoPro and there were tyre marks in the mud where the accused did circlework around the group.
A hammer was found under the driver's seat and box-cutter knife located near the front passenger seat, police said.
Magistrate Stoddart refused Yusuf bail.
However, as the matter concluded, Yusuf asked the magistrate if Legal Aid could be taken off his case because they "have never represented me properly".
"I feel discriminated against," Yusuf said via video link.
"I'm a black man, I'm a Muslim and I don't think he [the solicitor] likes me at all.
"I do not want Legal Aid to represent me."
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Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
