‘Lambo guy’ Adrian Portelli, 35 has driving matter vacated at Sunshine Magistrates’ Court for six months
Billionaire Adrian Portelli was charged after allegedly fishtailing and doing donuts at a roundabout in 2020, but after another delay it will be at least four years before the matter is resolved.
Melbourne City
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A billionaire car enthusiast charged with hooning offences had his court matter delayed again after his lawyers revealed a devastating reason they could not proceed.
Adrian Portelli — otherwise known as ‘lambo guy’ — appeared in Sunshine Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning ahead of a contest mention next month.
Police allege the 35-year-old did “donuts” and “fishtailed” at a roundabout on Licence Rd, Diggers Rest in December 2020 before he lost control of the vehicle in the rain.
Last October, Mr Portelli said he would fight the charges on principle and instructed his lawyers not accept a plea deal because he would rather pay thousands in legal fees than a fine for hooning.
The matter was set to be contested next month, however, Magistrate Peter Reardon was told the defence team could not proceed because an expert witness was diagnosed with cancer and was unavailable to give evidence.
The billionaire’s lawyer, Warwick Walsh-Buckley, said the witness was an expert on radar analysis, accident reconstruction and speed assessments and they asked him to prepare a report as evidence of his client’s conduct.
However, Walsh-Buckley said the witness was undergoing chemotherapy and would need about three months before he could be cross examined.
Police prosecutor Alex Turner opposed vacating next month’s hearing to await the evidence because he said it was irrelevant to the case against Mr Portelli.
Mr Turner said the prosecution case relied on the eye witness account of two police officers in a patrol vehicle about 200m away from Mr Portelli and there was no use of a radar or allegation of speed.
He said defence had “ample opportunity” since 2020 to prepare evidence and the special mention came 8 months after they flagged a report was forthcoming.
Magistrate Reardon vacated next month’s contest hearing and the matter was adjourned to December 11.
Defence have until August 1 to provide an expert report to police.
Mr Reardon marked on the file there were to be no further adjournments.
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