SA man George Lavrentiadis charged over demolition of coastal shack belonging to Adelaide man involved in dispute with US realtor
The Castle-like stoush over a million-dollar coastal view has taken another twist, with a man arrested and charged with demolishing a beloved family shack.
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A man has been charged with demolishing an almost 100-year-old coastal clifftop shack at the centre of a battle between an Adelaide grandfather and a US celebrity realtor.
The Advertiser can report that, on Wednesday night, SA Police arrested George Lavrentiadis and charged him with offences including property damage.
Detectives from Victor Harbor CIB allege Mr Lavrentiadis, of no fixed address, demolished a “salmon shack”, on the Fleurieu Peninsula’s Heysen trial, belonging to Barry Robertson.
The arrest is based on photographs showing a man, alleged to be Mr Lavrentiadis, present at a neighbouring shack without permission to be there.
A second photograph shows a Nissan Navara, allegedly belonging to Mr Lavrentiadis, parked near that shack with its rear window open and a yellow toolbox handle visible.
The structure, built in 1934, was knocked down in June last year without the permission of Mr Robertson, whose family had owned it since 1964.
According to surveys, the shack – which was situated 25m back from the cliff’s edge – was on Crown land.
The incident occurred amid tensions between Mr Robertson, his fellow shack owners and Florida-based real estate agent Julian Galbraith Johnston.
His clients include Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Madonna and fashion designer Vera Wang, and his reported 2021 sales were AUD$1b.
Mr Johnston paid $900,000 for a parcel of neighbouring, private land a year earlier, intending to build a $2m summer home for his Adelaide-based family.
Three months after his purchase, he contacted shack owners to express his concerns over their “illegal” structures, which he asserts are “not well-built” and “so unsafe”.
Mr Johnston subsequently told The Advertiser that Crown land “belongs to all Australians” and is not for “private free use”.
He has publicly denied any wrongdoing or having ordered the demolition of shacks, and has not been accused of wrongdoing by police. He claims he has been subjected to abusive messages and threats of violence.
In July last year, the Environment Department’s Crown Lands Program told Mr Robertson he could rebuild the shack provided it met modern safety and environmental standards.
Mr Robertson said he intends to sue over the shack’s demolition in order to recoup costs and fund the reconstruction.
Following his arrest on Wednesday, Mr Lavrentiadis was taken to the Victor Harbor Police Station and granted bail.
He will face the Victor Harbor Magistrates Court in April.
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Originally published as SA man George Lavrentiadis charged over demolition of coastal shack belonging to Adelaide man involved in dispute with US realtor
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