Andreas Panas jailed over Henley Beach Airbnb clandestine methylamphetamine lab explosion

Two men who set up a secret lab in an Henley Beach holiday home left a huge damage bill when their dodgy drug factory nearly killed them. Hear what one told the cops.

Asleep inside a beachside holiday rental, Andreas Panas was oblivious to the fire taking hold in an upstairs bathroom – where a clandestine drug set up caught alight.

Concerned neighbours including an off-duty firefighter gallantly managed to force their way into the house and rouse Panas – and his co-accused Ross Jeffrey Linke – after noticing smoke emanating from the house.

They found the two men inside passed out in a loungeroom – in their underwear.

Two days earlier, on May 17, 2019, Panas had logged on to the Airbnb app and booked the two-storey home, located in a prime spot on the Esplanade at Henley Beach just a stone’s throw from Henley Square, for a six-day stay.

Firefighters doused the blaze and discovered the remnants of an active “clan’ lab” in the upstairs bathroom, which caused “significant damage” to the beachside house. At the time, firefighters set an early damage bill at about $1.4m.

Police dismantled the lab and found 1.225kg of pure methylamphetamine in the process of being distilled – including 830g in a reaction vessel and 395g in a plastic container.

The amount of meth discovered was expected to fetch about $140,000 if sold wholesale but would have a “significantly greater” value if sold in smaller, street-level deals.

Linke, who fled along the beach pantless until he was arrested on the sand, pleaded guilty to multiple drug-related offences linked to the lab and was jailed for 12 years. Linke had explained he was under significant pressure to pay back a drug debt when he became involved.

Panas, 36, had managed to initially dodge authorities, having taken off south along Seaview Rd before police arrived.

But, a few hours later, he walked into Port Adelaide police station, telling investigators he “just wanted to find out what happened”. He denied any knowledge of the clan lab in his record of interview.

He later pleaded not guilty to multiple offences but was found guilty of a charge of manufacturing a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug after a trial by judge alone last year.

In sentencing, Judge Jane Schammer said she rejected Panas’s evidence that he was not involved with the elaborate set up as “false”.

“You rented the property via Airbnb knowing that the property was to be used to manufacture methylamphetamine,” she said.

“You took part in the process of manufacture of that drug by guarding and/or concealing equipment, substances and materials and by providing or allowing use of the property which you had rented.”

Court-released image of the Henley Beach Airbnb clandestine meth lab which caught fire in May 2019. Andreas Panas has been sentenced for drug offences for his involvement. Picture: Supplied

She said because Panas had refused to acknowledge his offending “the court was not privy to any information as to how or why you became involved in it”.

“I can only assume that you offended to support and fund your drug addiction”.

Judge Schammer said Panas’s offending was “only detected because of the fact of the fire”.

“You have never properly explained how you came to offend or the precise role you played in the offending,” she said.

“However, you and the co-accused were clearly entrusted with the responsibility to produce a large and extremely valuable quantity of methylamphetamine.

“This was a carefully planned, somewhat sophisticated commercial operation which must have been profit driven.”

She said Panas had continued to abuse illicit substances after he was released on bail and was convicted of seven counts of breaching bail.

Judge Schammer said Panas had made some steps toward addressing his drug issues but in March this year he was caught using a tube during a urine test – in a suspected attempt to tamper with his urine sample.

Court-released image of the Henley Beach Airbnb clandestine meth lab which caught fire in May 2019. Andreas Panas has been sentenced for drug offences for his involvement. Supplied,

The testing formed a condition of his bail agreement. The court heard that a few weeks later Panas was asked to provide a spit sample to be tested for illicit drugs, but he said a medical condition coupled with medication and a lack of fluids meant he was “unable to produce more than a small amount of froth” – not enough to be tested.

The court heard that on another occasion, two years earlier, Panas had attempted to provide a false urine sample by using a Visine bottle.

Judge Schammer noted that while he had not been drug free as he had claimed, Panas had taken “several positive steps” toward rehabilitation, and had told a psychologist he was “eager” to turn his life around.

She said Panas had mental health concerns and a troubled and unfortunate upbringing which led him to abuse illicit substances from the age of just 13. His drug abuse later affected his employability and led to earlier criminal offending.

“As you must be aware, drugs cause significant misery to those who are addicted to them, their families and the broader community,” she said.

Judge Schammer set a head-sentence of six years with a non-parole period of two years and nine months. Panas will be eligible to apply for parole in March 2026.

Originally published as Andreas Panas jailed over Henley Beach Airbnb clandestine methylamphetamine lab explosion