Sydney identity Jim Byrnes charged for allegedly refusing breath test after Bondi Beach assault
Why has Sydney identity “Big” Jim Byrnes been charged? What went wrong with a male stripper at a regional bowls club? And who is the lawyer that has been struck off? The Snitch is here.
Sydney business identity “Big” Jim Byrnes has been charged with allegedly assaulting a man and refusing to take a breath test after police found his Chevy crashed into three parked cars on Bondi Beach.
The one-time financial adviser to billionaire Alan Bond spent the evening of November 7 in a police station after the alleged incident unfolded on Rickard Rd just after 6pm.
Police were called to the scene and found the colourful businessman’s blue Chevrolet had allegedly crashed into a Mazda, a motorcycle and a Volkswagen that were all parked.
The VW had been pushed into a Mitsubishi, which allegedly caused more damage.
Police allege Byrnes walked away from the scene and assaulted a 54-year-old man who tried to stop him.
When officers arrived Byrnes allegedly refused to submit to a breath test.
He was taken to Surry Hills Police Station where he was charged with common assault and failing to submit to a breath test.
He appeared in Waverley Local Court on November 13 and is yet to enter a plea to the charges.
It’s the latest in a long line of dramas for Byrnes in what has been an interesting life to say the least.
He had a disagreement with bar boss Julian Tobias on Melbourne Cup Day 2023 that hit the headlines.
In 2012, his Bellevue Hill mansion was shot up, with Byrnes later accusing organised crime figures as being responsible.
His earlier exploits included being jailed for deemed heroin supply in the 1980s and smashing up a lawyer’s office with a baseball bat.
He has also twice been banned by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission from acting as a company director.
Byrnes has not entered a plea to the latest charges and will face Waverley Local Court on December 10.
FALL
Every day our court system helps guide society by cutting to the truth of competing claims made by warring parties.
Like: Did a male stripper release his grip on Tara Maree McPherson’s arm too early, causing her to fall off a stage at Parkes Bowling and Sports Club?
In the coming months, the Sydney District Court will decide this question.
Ms McPherson is suing Young Gunz Entertainment over a strip show the organisation put on at the Central West NSW bowls club in August 2023.
According to its website, Young Gunz specialises in “Hens Party packages” and offers strip shows, life drawing classes, topless waiters and, at the upper, there is something called “The Twister Package” (which starts at 800 bucks).
We’re not sure if Ms McPherson was participating in any of these.
But we are sure she says in her statement of claim that at one point she was invited on stage by one of the hard-bodied dancers.
According to the claim, Ms McPherson was fine with being brought on stage to partake in a flutter of blush-inducing fun.
Getting down was the problem.
Ms McPherson’s claim says the stage “was of a significant height”.
She claims the dancer released his grip too early when he attempted to lower her off the stage.
It allegedly resulted in Ms McPherson being dropped on the ground.
Medical evidence is now set to form part of the case where Ms McPherson is suing Young Gunz for negligence.
Young Gunz is expected to defend the claim.
The case returns to court on December 11.
GORNE
In news that will likely only surprise the person it concerns, the lawyer who played a role in Australia’s biggest tax fraud has been struck off.
Sevag Chalabian was sentenced to 12 years jail for allowing the trust accounts of his firm, Lands Legal, to launder $24 million from the Plutus Payroll conspiracy.
Chalabian wasn’t part of the original fraud that was led by Adam Cranston and his mates.
But he came into the picture as part of a plan to blackmail Cranston and co out of $25 million.
Chalabian represented himself in the NSW Supreme Court where he was mowed down by the NSW Law Society.
A three-judge panel declared Chalabian neither fit nor proper to be operating as a lawyer.
