Dimitri Kentrotis enters not guilty pleas in Reserve Hotels ‘feud’
A man who allegedly threatened employees loyal to a pub empire patriarch in a bitter boardroom feud has been back before the court to face his firearm and harassment charges.
Wentworth Courier
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A man whose arrest laid bare the shocking family feud dividing a wealthy eastern suburbs pub dynasty has pleaded not guilty to charges of threatening employees loyal to his father-in-law.
Dimitri Kentrotis, 41, had his case mentioned before Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday morning.
This was the first time Kentrotis’ charges of possessing unauthorised firearms, using a carriage service to menace, harass and offend and stalk and intimidation were married up with charges from a separate incident where he allegedly fled from traffic police attempting to drug test him.
The court was previously told by Mr Kentrotis’s lawyer that he took off as the officers doing the drug tests triggered a flight response which was characteristic of the PTSD he suffers from almost getting swept away in a tsunami.
Solicitor Justin Le Blond, a partner at Kennedy’s Law, told Registrar Nicole Hoffman his client was in the courthouse but was delayed going through security.
Registrar Hoffman dealt with the matter before Kentrotis could physically make his way to the courtroom.
Mr Le Blond said some of the briefs of evidence had yet to be served and Registrar Hoffman set down a date of October 13 for them to be served by with a reply on October 27.
“Are you asking your client be excused on the next occasion,” Registrar Hoffman asked.
“No, not necessarily,” Mr Le Blond replied.
The court has previously heard of Mr Kentrotis’ mental illness including his PTSD and Registrar Hoffman questioned whether there was an application for the charges to be dealt with under Section 32 of the Mental Health Act.
“Not at this stage,” Mr Le Blond said.
The court date comes days after one of the venues owned by Mr Kentrotis’ father in law Nick Balagiannis in the $100 million Reserve Hotels stable, Mr B’s Hotel on Pitt St in the CBD, was fined for a COVID breach.