Victorian MP Richard Riordan’s brother Anthony faces up to 10 years behind bars

Victorian MP Richard Riordan’s brother is facing a lengthy jail sentence if he is found guilty of serious charges including stalking.

The brother of Victorian state Liberal frontbencher Richard Riordan faces up to 10 years jail if found guilty after being charged with serious stalking and theft offences.

But fraud charges against Anthony George Riordan that included obtaining property worth $100,000 or more by deception have been dropped, the Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday.

Victoria Police financial crime squad detectives have charged the Colac businessman with two counts of stalking, including by “installing a tracking device on the victim’s vehicle with the intention of arousing apprehension in the victim for his own safety” on January 24 or 25 last year, court documents show.

He is also accused of “staking out the victim’s place of business” and “conducting physical surveillance on the victim” in Geelong suburb Breakwater at around the same time.

In addition, police have charged Mr Riordan with the theft of a white 2018 Landcruiser worth $100,000 and a white horse float worth $15,000 at Cape Schanck, on the other side of Port Phillip Bay, on January 25 last year.

The court heard that the matter was complex because it involved a large amount of evidence including phone taps.

Magistrate Donna Bakos adjourned the case for a sentence indication hearing, where Mr Riordan will receive an estimate of the penalty he would receive if he pleads guilty, on November 20.

The stalking charge and the theft charges carry maximum jail terms of 10 years. He also faces a charge of installing a tracking device without consent, which carries a maximum jail term of two years or a fine of up to $46,000.

Mr Riordan’s brother, Richard, has been the MP for Polwarth since winning the seat in 2015.

Before that, Richard Riordan ran his family’s hardware business in Colac.

In November last year he ran for leadership of the state Liberals following the party’s electoral drubbing by Labor.

However, he pulled out in early December in favour of Brad Battin, who went on to lose to current leader John Pesutto.

Late on Wednesday, Richard Riordan said he was estranged from his brother and declined to comment.