Ex-Satch boss Jim Sachinidis charged with dealing drugs, manufacture GHB and burglary

An ex-Melbourne fashion king was allegedly caught at 4am in Brighton East with burg tools while on bail for an $87,000 JB Hi-Fi heist charge.

Former Stach clothing boss Jim Sachinidis fronted court on criminal charges. Facebook.

A fallen Melbourne fashion king charged with trafficking GHB and speed and taking down an $87,000 JB Hi-Fi heist has been granted bail for a second time.

Ex-Satch clothing boss Jim Sachinidis, 51, fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with offences including trafficking GHB and speed.

Sachinidis, who first was granted bail in November last year, was locked up again after police allegedly caught him driving a hire car outside curfew hours on September 13 this year.

Police intercepted Sachinidis in a Toyota Kluger at Brighton East just before 4am.

It’s alleged Sachinidis was nabbed on the Nepean Highway with meth and items including a hunting knife, a balaclava, ski masks, an emergency window breaker, multi-use wedge, chisel, glass pipes and a bent wire coathanger.

Police also allegedly found a brand new microwave in a box in the car Sachinidis was driving.

Sachinidis was arrested and charged with going equipped to steal, meth possession, driving while disqualified and breaching various bail conditions.

Top criminal lawyer Theo Magazis successfully secured his client’s release after arguing there was no evidence linking Sachinidis to any of the items allegedly found within the car.

Sachinidis was already on bail after police allegedly found equipment and substances used to manufacture GHB in Braeside.

Investigators stumbled on Sachinidis’ alleged drug operation via a storage box transported from Caulfield South to its Boundary Rd home on July 1 last year.

Sachinidis was arrested for breaching bail.

Police allegedly found 588g of GHB and 329g of sodium nitrate, which a court heard was used to convert precursor chemical “Gabba” into GHB.

Senior Constable Alice Rogers, who gave evidence during the November bail application, said Sachinidis was allegedly linked to the storage box via CCTV but DNA analysis was ongoing.

Sachinidis, whose former high-end fashion label SATCH went bust in 2011, was also charged with possessing substances to manufacture drugs.

Sachinidis and a group of others allegedly pulled off a sophisticated $87,000 burglary at Camberwell JB Hi-Fi early on July 31 last year.

The court heard the burglary crew allegedly killed power and CCTV cameras before forcing entry into the Camberwell Place store just after 2am.

It’s alleged the crew ransacked loot, including Nintendo consoles, various laptops, Apple AirPods, Fitbit watches, Bose equipment and Sennheiser headphones.

Sachinidis, also charged with burglary, was allegedly caught with meth, Xanax and bute at Hawthorn just before 5am.

Police also allegedly located electronic goods including an Apple Mac monitor, a Dell laptop and a Hisense LED TV with a JB Hi-Fi packing slip.

Sachinidis was allegedly caught with meth, ski masks and a knife.

Sachinidis was charged with drug possession but released pending “further inquiries”.

JB Hi-Fi management reported the burglary to police just after 8.30am.

Investigators allegedly linked Sachinidis to the heist via fingerprints and his clothing depicted in CCTV footage.

Sachinidis was arrested at The Crest on Park Motel St Kilda West where police allegedly found speed, GHB and $10,900 cash on November 9 last year.

Investigators then searched a St Kilda storage cage leased to Sachinidis and seized goods including an Apple MacBook Pro, an iPad Air, a Rolex, Chanel sunglasses, a Cartier bangle and Yves Saint Laurent footwear.

Police also seized jewellery, a Louis Vuitton satchel, R.M Williams boots, a House of Hello handbag, a mobile phone linked to the JB heist and more expensive loot.

Sachinidis, who told police he bought the goods online, was charged and remanded in custody with bail conditions including that he live with his partner at her Elwood home and he is not permitted to step foot inside a JB Hi-Fi store.

Sachinidis will face court at a later date.

[e-mail]