Deep Creek shacks knocked down by George Lavrentiadis because they obscured view of US celeb realtor Julian Johnston’s development, court told
For years, it’s been a mystery. Now a court’s finally been told why a homeless man demolished two shacks with incredible ocean views – and who paid him.
Police & Courts
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A US-based real estate agent to the stars paid a man $5000 to illegally demolish two century-old Fleurieu Peninsula fishing shacks that obscured his new development’s million-dollar view, a court has heard.
On Tuesday, George Lavrentiadis told the District Court he “accepted what he was told” by Miami, Florida, realtor Julian Galbraith Johnston, that the Heysen Trail shacks could lawfully be demolished.
Lavrentiadis made that admission through his barrister, Martin Anders, after the shack’s owners denounced him, in their victim impact statements, for destroying 100 years of history.
Barry Robertson, who caught Lavrentiadis red-handed, told him he was no more than “vermin” for doing Mr Johnston’s bidding “for a measly $5000”.
Lavrentiadis, he said, also stole $29,000 worth of treasured, irreplaceable personal and historic items from both properties, burning some and never returning others.
“My family had owned that shack since 1957 … it was my happy place, and George has simply turned my happy place into a nightmare,” he said.
“That shack was a part of me, it was a member of the family, it was my castle … you were paid, by members of Julian Johnston’s family, to demolish my shack.
“You erased four generations of memories for a measly $5000 … this is not something you can weasel out of … my family will rebuild the shack, and you and the Johnston family will meet the cost of it.”
Lavrentiadis, 51, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two counts of damaging property over the June 22, 2022 demolition.
At the time, the shack was at the centre of a dispute between Barry Robertson, who claimed his family owned it, and US-based celebrity realtor Mr Johnston.
Mr Johnston – who has publicly denied any wrongdoing – claimed the shack was on Crown land next to his $900,000 block, on which he intended to build a $2m home.
On Tuesday, owners of the second shack outlined their loss, urging the court to punish Lavrentiadis to show “accountability and respect for history endures”.
Mr Anders apologised on Lavrentiadis’ behalf, describing him as “the meat in the sandwich” between the shack owners and Mr Johnston, who are also involved in a lawsuit.
He asked Lavrentiadis be shown leniency, given his crime was “a failure to exercise due diligence”.
“When confronted (mid-demolition) by Mr Robertson, Lavrentiadis responded by being reduced to tears,” he said.
“He stood to gain $5000, that’s what he was being paid in his ill-informed belief that the shacks were unlawful, based on information he received from the landholder, Mr Johnston, that there was no lease.
“The chap that engaged him spoke with great authority, whether he had it or not … (Lavrentiadis) was not lawfully authorised to do what he did, he acted recklessly.”
Jit Khor, prosecuting, said Lavrentiadis had been filmed speaking to someone on his phone saying the shacks were “hanging by a thread” and it “was the end of an era”.
The “person to be sentenced”, he said, “is Lavrentiadis, not Mr Johnston”, and asked an immediate prison term be imposed.
“The loss suffered by the victims, we say, cannot be solely compensated by money,” he said.
Judge Heath Barklay remanded Lavrentiadis on continuing bail for sentencing next month.
After the hearing, Lavrentiadis declined to speak to The Advertiser, saying “my lawyer has instructed me not to make comment”.
The Advertiser has contacted Mr Johnston for comment.
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