Butcher accused of $1.5m Yatala Pies swindle goes belly up, divorces

A retired Queensland butcher accused of ripping off his friends and owners of one of the state’s most famous pie shops to the tune of $1.5 million has quietly gone bankrupt and his meat company has been wound up.

A RETIRED Queensland butcher accused of ripping off his friends, the owners of one of the state’s most famous pie shops, to the tune of $1.5 million by undersupplying hundreds of tonnes of mince, has quietly gone bankrupt and his meat company has been wound up.

James “Jim” Cornell 75, from Upper Mount Gravatt, tipped himself into bankruptcy on April 1, and his wife Tricia appointed a liquidator to their company Carina Meat Supply Pty Ltd (CMS) on March 26, court documents state.

Mr Cornell’s wife has also decided to divorce him “and there is no prospect of reconciliation”, according to documents filed in the Supreme Court.

Yatala Pie Shop Pty Ltd, (YPS) which has sold pies from its store between Brisbane and the Gold Coast for decades, has sued CMS and Mr Cornell, in the Supreme Court in Brisbane alleging Mr Cornell deceitfully issued false invoices and falsely stated the weight of each fresh minced beef delivery for nearly three years.

YPS alleges he ripped them off to the tune of $1.5 million by undersupplying at least 261 tonnes of mince between January 2017 and October 15 last year.

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Mr Cornell denies acting dishonestly in his 30 year business relationship with the Yatala Pie Shop and argues “any undersupply” of meat “or overcharge” on meat orders “was a result of the ordering process” which was done by YPS.

YPS lawyers argue that Mr Cornell is in breach of a promise to the court that he reveal what assets he owns and their values.

In bankruptcy filings filed in court Mr Cornell claims he has just 16 cents in the bank, and earns just $46,800 a year as a butcher.

He states he owes $365,962 secured against his home, worth $700,000, and $29,973 secured against his Carina Heights butcher shop, now closed, which is worth $600,000.

He also states he owes $185,000 to his solicitors Roman and Romans and $22,607 on his credit card.

YPS argued that Mr Cornell elected not to swear an oath and give evidence “verifying that they delivered the invoiced weight of fresh meat supplies to Yatala during the relevant period”.

Yatala argued that Mr Cornell’s pleadings to the overcharging and undersupply allegations were “evasive”.

“Nowhere do the defendants allege that they delivered the invoiced weight of fresh meat supplies, but instead allege that because they did not weigh the deliveries the invoiced weights were approximations only,” Yatala’s lawyers submitted to the court.

No future court date has been set for hearing.

Originally published as Butcher accused of $1.5m Yatala Pies swindle goes belly up, divorces