Toorak dentist George Paltoglou faces Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for assault
A Toorak dentist who gives sports stars and celebs the brightest smiles has been unmasked as a thug who assaulted a woman by dragging her down a hallway.
Melbourne City
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A Toorak celebrity dentist who treats sports stars and celebs has escaped conviction after assaulting a woman twice, giving his lawyer a thumbs up outside court following the verdict.
Melbourne Smile Centre owner and principal dentist George Paltoglou, 61, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and one of intentionally damaging property at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
His business services a star-studded list of clientele from billionaires to sport stars, models, and actors.
The court heard during an argument in early 2024, Paltoglou threw a woman’s phone on the ground, cracking the screen and saying to her: “You want to f---ing threaten me?”
Paltoglou put pressure on the woman’s throat, dragged her down a hallway, and shoved her, causing bruising.
On another occasion he put his arms over the face and hands over the mouth of a woman, who struggled to breathe.
Paltoglou told police after he was arrested that he held his hand over her mouth for about 30 seconds and did not believe he was physically injuring the woman.
“I’m mindful I’m a lot bigger than her,” he said, adding that he tried to be as “controlled and gentle as possible”.
He agreed the behaviour was inappropriate, and had taken part in a behavioural change program as well as seeing a psychologist regularly.
The court heard Paltoglou’s actions were “completely out of character” and that his lawyers staved off any action against their client by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
In a statement read to the court on her behalf, Paltoglou’s victim said she felt “withdrawn and isolated”.
“I rarely experience true ease or happiness, feeling instead a constant weight of despair,” she said.
“ ... I’m consumed by overwhelming sadness, constant fear, and delibitating anxiety.
“I’m angry. This is fuelled by the pain and loneliness in my life.”
She said she suffered periods of deep depression and frequent panic attacks, had nightmares about the assault, and feared running into Paltoglou’s associates.
“Strange noises wake me in fear,” she said
“I sometimes hear voices.”
The woman said she felt “overwhelmed with fear of the future”.
Magistrate Timothy Bourke told Paltoglou he should be “deeply concerned” about his offending, which put his reputation and career at risk.
He told him he needed to “step up as a man”.
Despite prosecutors arguing a financial penalty would not greatly affect Paltoglou, he was fined a total of $5750.
Convictions were not recorded, in part because Paltoglou lacked priors and was considered of otherwise good character, and was thought to have humilated himself by seeking references from peers for the hearing.
The court heard Paltoglou spent $22,000 a month on a mortgage, $5000 on rent, and paid the salaries of 17 staff at Melbourne Smile Centre.
The Malvern Rd business’s social media pages have featured images of high-profile patients, including Australian Test team cricketer and Victoria captain Peter Handscomb, freestyle skier Anton Grimus, actor Jackson Gallagher and models Sarah Burns and Bonnee Fahlstrom.
Mr Paltoglou has also been pictured posing for photos alongside AFL senior umpire Brett Rosebury, musician Nick Cave, and Linfox founder Lindsay Fox.
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