Lawyer Chris Eliopoulos battles Halina Sher over $800k loan

A criminal lawyer is embroiled in a $1.8 million war with an elderly eastern suburbs woman, in court cases featuring a legendary jazz singer and criminal charges over abusive text messages.

A criminal lawyer is embroiled in a $1.8 million war with an elderly eastern suburbs woman, in court cases featuring a legendary jazz singer and criminal charges over abusive text messages.

Bondi woman Halina Sher, 71, has recorded a legal win against lawyer Chris Eliopoulos in their three year battle over an $800,000 loan.

The NSW Supreme Court heard that when Ms Sher failed to repay the high-interest loan, Mr Eliopoulos bombarded her with over 90 text messages in four days, including an exchange where he called her a “c..t” and wrote: “I hope you die. The world would be a better place.”

Ms Sher showed the messages to police, resulting in Mr Eliopoulos being charged and pleading guilty to using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend.

He was placed on a good behaviour bond without conviction at Waverley Local Court in October 2024.

Lawer Chris Eliopoulos is at war over an $800k loan. Picture: John Grainger

The late Sydney jazz singer Helen Rasko’s name has been dragged into the case.

Mr Eliopoulos then sued Ms Sher in the NSW Supreme Court over the unpaid $800,000 loan and unpaid interest.

He was awarded $1.8 million as a default judgment when Ms Sher failed to turn up to court.

However, Ms Sher had that judgment overturned last month and the case reopened after arguing she was sick and under extreme stress — thanks in part to Mr Eilopoulos’ texts.

The case is now set to go to a new hearing.

The septuagenarian told the court she doesn’t owe Mr Eliopoulos a cent because he lent the money to her two companies, rather than to her personally.

Ms Sher’s two companies — which the court heard owned $60 million worth of properties and earned rental income — are now in the hands of receivers.

The court was told Mr Eiliopoulos and Ms Sher had been friendly since 2016 after he performed legal work for her.

Ms Sher ran into financial problems during the 2021 Covid pandemic, with her rental income drying up, the court heard.

In October 2021, she borrowed $800,000 from Mr Eliopoulos on the condition she repay the money with $135,000 in interest less than two months later, the court heard.

Ms Sher told the court she asked Mr Eliopoulos to deposit the second loan of $150,000 into the account of a property investment business known as Rasko Investments.

Business records show the company was owned by Sydney jazz singer Helen Rasko, who lived in Bellevue Hill for 50 years before she died in 2017, aged 88.

The records said the company was now run by Ms Rasko’s family and owned a commercial property on Old South Head Rd, Bondi Junction.

The property adjoins two other properties owned by Ms Sher’s two companies.

The Bondi properties owned by Ms Sher’s two companies and Ms Rasko’s company are located on a lucrative parcel on Bondi Road and Old South Head Road.

When Ms Sher had not repaid the money by March 2022, Mr Eliopoulos sent her a text message that said “Do I have to sue you Gilla?”, the court heard.

She responded: “There is no need to panic. I can’t come out. I am still sick.”

Ms Sher told Mr Eliopoulos he did not have a written agreement making her responsible for the debt, meaning any attempt to sue her personally would fail.

Instead, she told the court that Mr Eliopoulos had deposited the money with her companies, which were responsible for the debts but were now in the hands of receivers.

“I wasn’t worried about you suing me. You have no written agreement. You would lose,” the court heard Ms Sher texted to the lawyer.

In August 2023, Mr Eliopoulos sent Ms Sher 90 text messages in four days leading to him being charged.

Ms Sher asked the lawyer to stop texting her because she was sick and had been to hospital.

The court heard Mr Eliopoulos responded: “I don’t give a shit about your f..ken health. I hope you die. The world would be a better place.”

The case returns to the Supreme Court on April 8.

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