Phillip Harrison ‘the tradie billionaire’ may have fooled the court with computer app

EVERYONE wants to know how this tradie made hundreds of millions of dollars. Well, here you go. This is how.

IT WAS the bank balance that had a Queensland court baffled.

Noosa man Phillip Johnathan Harrison appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday after he was allegedly found with the drug ice, ecstasy and viagra on him when police pulled over his Audi.

A bricklayer and tradie, 29-year-old Harrison seemed an unlikely candidate to be one of Australia’s richest men — but he allowed court officials to log into his bank account which revealed he had $590 million cash and a big property portfolio.

The amount of money stumped even the lawyer representing him, Nick Hanly, who said: “I would not have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”

Now it seems it wasn’t all as it seemed. The Courier Mail reports Harrison may have used a computer app that makes a bank account look genuine, but is in fact a fake account.

People with a lot of money in their accounts are usually granted bail because they are considered less likely to try and flee before their case is brought back to court.

Phillip Harrison will be back in court on April 18.

Phillip Harrison claimed he had $596 million in the bank.

Phillip Harrison told his lawyer he couldn’t say how he made his alleged fortune.

The court heard the bricklayer and carpenter told officers he was worth $12 billion and later explained to his lawyer he’d been given the car by the government.

Mr Hanly said he had asked Harrison the origin of his significant net wealth, which he’d apparently only come into in the past 12 months.

“He said he wasn’t at liberty to say,” Mr Hanly told the court. “At this point, I was considering getting mental health to come in.” But Mr Hanly said Harrison then urged him to log on to his online banking account — which showed a cash balance of $596 million and a property portfolio of $1.56 billion.

“He did not make any attempt to run and he was not trying to hide the drugs or evade police,” Mr Hanly told the court on behalf of Harrison.

The court heard Harrison was an ice user. He faces charges of possessing dangerous drugs, possessing utensils and possession of tainted property.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Sean Francis suggested Harrison’s passport be surrendered as a condition of bail, given his means could make him an increased flight risk.

He said Harrison had a “relatively significant quantity” of methamphetamines and MDMA powder when he was intercepted.

Phillip Harrison

Phillip Harrison said his money was made through “investments”.

Phillip Harrison.

The court was told Harrison had been consuming ice because of personal turmoil over a relationship breakdown with the mother of his two-year-old daughter.

Magistrate Anthony Gett granted bail on the condition Harrison reside at a Tewantin address.

Outside court Harrison told the ABC he made the money in, “investments, my ideas in cars, apps, trade, I sold them overseas, have been for years”.

“How would I make billions in drugs without being caught?” he asked.

He was unhappy with Mr Hanly’s performance before the judge. He said he told the lawyer he had $1.2 million in property, not $1.2 billion.

“My lawyer was delusional, I told him not to say it, duty solicitor not very good.”

Even though the money seems to be a fantasy, Harrison appeared — at face value anyway — to be living an envious lifestyle.

First there was the late model Audi he was driving when he was pulled over, although the court heard he claimed he’d been given that as a gift.

Facebook pictures show him relaxing in European hotspots like the Greek Islands and Paris.

His case will return to court on April 18.

Phillip Harrison leaving court.

Originally published as Phillip Harrison ‘the tradie billionaire’ may have fooled the court with computer app