Prominent Sydney lawyer charged with domestic violence offences

1 month ago 24

A Sydney law firm principal and convicted drink-driver has been charged with domestic violence offences and has vowed to fight them in court.

Ugur Nedim is the founder and principal of Sydney Criminal Lawyers, which claims on its website to be “Australia’s most awarded criminal defence lawyers”.

Court records confirm the 51-year-old faced Byron Bay Local Court on Monday over two counts of stalking or intimidating with intent to cause fear of physical or mental harm. It was his first appearance over the charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The court also heard an application by police for an apprehended domestic violence order to protect his alleged victim.

According to the Sydney Criminal Lawyers website, Nedim completed a Masters in law at Sydney University, began his career as a law clerk in 1992, and started practising in criminal defence six years later.

In 2001, he founded law firm Nedim Lawyers – Criminal Defence Specialists, which is now named Sydney Criminal Lawyers. The website claims he has acted for Olympians, CEOs and politicians, and that he is recognised by the NSW Law Society as an accredited criminal law specialist.

The domestic violence case is not the first time Nedim has been through the courts for a personal matter.

In 2022, he was sentenced to a community corrections order after his Porsche became airborne while he was drink-driving at high range.

Agreed facts stated he was pulled over by police after he turned his luxury car into oncoming traffic on Oxford Street, hit the concrete diving strip and caused the care to “become momentarily airborne”.

Upon returning a breath test of 0.163 – more than three times the legal limit – Nedim insisted that the breathalyser must be broken and his result was not accurate because he was not allowed to drink water when he was arrested.

Nedim pleaded guilty to high range drink-driving and was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order, a $1500 fine, a nine-month driving disqualification and a two-year interlock period.

In a further saga, Nedim’s firm came under fire in 2017 for posting Facebook memes about drink-driving, including a photo of disabled parking space captioned: “Every 48 seconds, a drunk driver makes another person eligible to park here.”

Then-NSW attorney-general Mark Speakman condemned the memes.

“There’s no funny side to drink-driving. It’s irresponsible and selfish criminal behaviour that endangers lives. Any law firm that glorifies or makes light of drink-driving should change its advertising strategy,” Speakman said in a statement at the time.

Nedim will face a one-day hearing at Byron Bay Local Court over the DV charges in June.

He remains on bail, with conditions he not contact any prosecution witness, be of good behaviour and not commit any further offences.

He must also comply with all conditions of any apprehended domestic violence order against him.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.