A French national whose passenger allegedly waved an imitation pistol towards a security volunteer near Chabad Double Bay synagogue has avoided a conviction.
Uber Eats driver Merouan Ameye, 25, pleaded guilty in Downing Centre Local Court on Monday to possessing an unauthorised imitation pistol.
Judge Marguerite Vassall imposed a 12-month conditional release order without recording a conviction.
Agreed police facts said Ameye was delivering food through Sydney’s eastern suburbs at about midday on July 4 when his friend and hostel roommate, Neils Baholet, began playing with a blue and white water pistol resembling a Glock handgun.
Baholet had earlier allegedly sprayed pedestrians before waving the pistol towards a Community Security Group volunteer near the synagogue and imitating a shooting action.
“The alleged victim feared for his life and felt helpless,” the court documents said.
The volunteer contacted police, who later stopped the vehicle in Kings Cross and seized the pistol.
The incident occurred during Shabbat while worshippers were at Chabad Double Bay.
The agreed facts said Ameye did not know the Kiaora Road premises was a synagogue, was unaware of the circumstances of antisemitism affecting the Jewish community and did not see Baholet allegedly wave the weapon towards the volunteer.
He acknowledged his companion’s alleged conduct would have caused fear and intimidation.
The pair had taken the water pistol from the common room of the Glebe hostel where they were staying.
Police were called to Kiaora Road at about 12.20pm following reports that occupants of a vehicle had pointed what appeared to be a firearm towards the building.
Officers from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command, Operation Shelter and the Kings Cross and Surry Hills police commands searched the area.
A Toyota was stopped a short time later at the corner of Bayswater and Darlinghurst roads in Kings Cross.
Ameye and Baholet were arrested and taken to Kings Cross Police Station before being transferred to Surry Hills Police Station.
Baholet, 22, was charged with using an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence, possessing an unauthorised pistol and stalking or intimidation intended to cause fear of physical harm.
He has not entered a plea and is due to return to court on July 22. The allegations against him have not been proven.