DV, drug possession: NSW’s controversial real estate agents revealed

They’re responsible for selling our homes - but some Sydney real estate agents have been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. We list some of the city’s most controversial agents.

They’re the people we trust to sell our homes - but some NSW real estate agents have made a name for themselves for all the wrong reasons.

From domestic violence allegations to alleged drug possession, a number of the state’s top agents have found themselves in front of a magistrate in recent months.

Here’s a list of some of NSW’s controversial real estate agents:

AINSLEE CARDILLO

Real estate agent Ms Cardillo, 20, was found guilty of stalking and assaulting her ex-boyfriend in a series of incidents which culminated in a confrontation at a Cronulla night spot.

Cardillo dated her former partner for 18 months until the relationship ended in June 2020, but then began a campaign of harassment against him, Sutherland Local Court heard.

Ms Cardillo was found to have made multiple Instagram accounts to message him from, sent him notes via bank transfers and stood on his front lawn yelling and throwing things at his front door, before a confrontation at Northies in Cronulla where she tipped a drink on him and kneed him in the testicles.

Ainslee Cardillo, 20, pleaded guilty to stalking and assaulting her ex-boyfriend. Picture: Instagram

Messages sent by Ms Cardillo to her former partner included one reading “Burn in hell I f**king hate you, you are dead to me, I will be at your work tomorrow and if you touch anyone at Alexia’s I will destroy you, do I make myself clear you f***ing rat’.”

Ms Cardillo then sent bank transfers to her ex with descriptions reading ‘I need you, I love you, talk to me please.”

She was sentenced to a nine-month conditional release order with no convictions and is forbidden from contacting, stalking, assaulting, intimidating, threatening or harassing her ex under the terms of a two-year apprehended violence order.

GLENN MITCHAM

A Northern Rivers real estate agent was charged with assault when he injured his wife by he falling on top of her during a drunken scuffle.

Glenn Mitcham, 47, pleaded guilty to a domestic violence assault after he got into a scuffle with his wife before they fell off their veranda on February 25.

Macksville Local Court heard Mitcham’s wife had been out supporting a friend in Coffs Harbour while he had been drinking at their Nambucca Valley home, and had tried to call him while out but hadn’t heard back.

According to court documents, Valla Real Estate employee Mitcham became unhappy when he didn’t hear from her, and when she came home at 9:30pm became involved in a verbal argument.

Glenn Mitcham.

The documents revealed his wife then left to diffuse the situation, but the argument resumed when she came home and Mitcham refused to let her in, seeing his partner threaten to call the police.

“The accused attempted to grab the victim’s mobile phone from her hand, and this has caused the pair to fall from the veranda and land on the front lawn,” police stated in court documents.

“The impact of the fall caused a laceration on the victim’s forehead, swelling to her left cheek, and the lens from her glasses to come out.”

Mitcham then allegedly continued to struggle with her on the ground before taking her phone from her.

Magistrate Scott Nash said Mitcham’s actions were clearly caused by alcohol, and sentenced Mitcham to a conditional release order without conviction to be of good behaviour for 12 months.

JESSIE DAHDAH

A Sydney real estate agent moonlighting as a cocaine dial-a-dealer was slapped with a curfew preventing him from going out and partying for the next two years – except for his wedding and honeymoon.

Jessie Dahdah, 29, spent nine months behind bars in 2021 on remand after he was charged with multiple drug supply offences.

Burwood Local Court heard that on February 12 2021, Dahdah had supplied five “half-bags” for $500 to a woman in Northbridge, 1.4g of cocaine to a customer in Granville and 0.62g worth $260 for a regular in Wattle Grove before he went to the fast food joint for one last deal that day- the car park at KFC Milperra.

Agreed police facts tendered to the court revealed detectives were watching the exact moment it all went down.

“(The customer) was heard counting out $150 cash and Jessie Dahdah supplied him with 0.62g of cocaine,” the agreed police facts state.

Jessie Dahdah.

Police then pulled the customer’s car over and found 0.62g of cocaine in his wallet, before raiding Dadah’s Woolooware home a week later, where they found two resealable bags containing 1.26g of cocaine in his car’s centre console, 15 resealable bags containing 9.07g of cocaine in a bedroom safe, 0.35g of cocaine in a cupboard drawer and 1.04g in a bag in the couple’s wardrobe.

“Dahdah admitted to having purchased 15 or 16 bags of cocaine for $2000 and making that purchase once every few months,” agreed police facts state.

Dahdah spent nine months behind bars on remand in 2021, but on November 26 he was sentenced to a two-year intensive corrections order for one count of ongoing drug supply and two counts of prohibited drug supply.

He will also have to complete 200 hours of community service, submit to supervision by community corrections, abstain from drugs and alcohol as well as undertaking rehabilitation and undergo regular drug testing for the next two years.

But the court also made a small concession to the rules which allowed Dahdah to attend his wedding to fiance Rachel Dale.

JONATHAN EYLES

Award-winning Sutherland Shire realtor Eyles was charged with assault causing actual bodily harm after allegedly beating his partner so badly she was knocked out.

Agreed facts at Sutherland Local Court show police arrived at Eyles’ Caringbah home on January 13 after Eyles called triple-0 and found his partner unconscious with her hair pulled out and a broken wine glass by her side.

Jonathan Eyles pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm. Picture: Eliza Barr

“The victim had bruising to her left arm, bruising and red marks around her face and neck, bruises to her right knee, a lump and pain to the back of her head and bruising and a puncture wound on her right arm,” police facts state.

Eyles had told police his then-partner was the aggressor and officers had the woman in custody with plans to charge her with offences against him – until she opened up about his long-term violent behaviour towards her.

The realtor pleaded guilty on January 19 at Sutherland Local Court, before sentencing was adjourned on March 16 so Eyles could pursue a Section 14 under mental health grounds.

WARREN GINSBERG

Socialite and prominent eastern suburbs real estate agent Warren Ginsberg recently abandoned plans to appeal a penalty he was given for cocaine possession.

Police had alleged the Ray White Double Bay director was caught with the drug after officers saw him entering a car before quickly exiting in Bondi last year during NSW’s extended Covid lockdown.

Eastern suburbs real estate agent Warren Ginsberg. Picture: Instagram

The 33-year-old — who was once romantically linked to actor Jodi Gordon — was convicted and fined $500 in Waverley Local Court after pleading guilty to drug possession.

It was the third drug possession charge for Ginsberg but the first time he had been convicted of the offence.

In 2007, when he was just 19, Ginsberg had received a bond for the offence, and a fine without conviction for the second offence in 2010.

Ginsberg, represented by top criminal defence lawyer Bryan Wrench, planned to appeal against the severity of that punishment for his third charge in the higher NSW District Court.

However, his case was mentioned in Downing Centre District Court on Wednesday when Judge Jane Culver confirmed the appeal had been withdrawn via email.

The judge formally dismissed the appeal and the orders of the NSW Local Court were confirmed.