Nektario Zafiratos begs for bail in County Court, as he faces rape, sexual assault charges

An alleged Hawthorn sugar daddy accused of sexually assaulting three women wants bail so he can move his elderly dementia-suffering mother to Australia so she can open a bridal store here.

Nektario Zafiratos applied for bail so he could help his Greek mum start bridal store in Melbourne.

An alleged Hawthorn sugar daddy accused of raping and sexually assaulting three women wants bail so he can move his elderly dementia-suffering mother to Australia so she can open a bridal store here.

Nektario Zafiratos, 51, fronted the County Court via a video link from jail on Wednesday, where he had been locked up pending his court case for more than 400 days.

Mr Zafiratos’ defence lawyer told the court his client wanted bail because his 74-year-old mum — who lives in Greece — was sick and he was “struggling with his mental health as a consequence of his incarceration”.

In anticipation of potentially receiving bail, he had arranged short-term accommodation through a friend he met in prison, the lawyer said.

The plan was for Mr Zafiratos’ prison friend to fly to Greece and help pack up his mother — who has advanced dementia and has never met said friend in person — and her bridal shop. The pair would return to Melbourne, the court heard, where her rape-accused son would look after the 74-year-old and help her open a new store here.

However, Judge David Sexton questioned the viability of an old woman with a cognitive impairment “flying anywhere, let alone from Athens to Melbourne”.

“I have received mixed messages in regards to the situation with your mother – she is elderly, frail, has advanced dementia and desires to be in Australia (but) I’m not precisely sure how the arrangement will be in place when your friend goes to Athens to relocate her,” he said.

The prosecution also raised that they believed Mr Zafiratos was a flight risk.

In denying bail, Judge Sexton said the allegations were “very serious”.

The 51-year-old is accused of making contact with multiple women online, via the Seeking Arrangements website, including one woman who he promised $10,000 “to take her virginity”.

On another occasion, Mr Zafiratos allegedly attacked a 31-year-old woman, pushing her on the bed, performing oral sex on her and then raping her despite her pleas for him to stop.

In another instance, a woman allegedly woke to Mr Zafiratos having sex with her.

The accused will return to court for a directions hearing later this month.