Lipscombe Larder’s John Spiro Fiotakis found guilty by jury in Lamborghini fraud case

A jury has handed down a unanimous verdict in the trial of a Hobart businessman accused of falsely stating he was behind the wheel of his $239,000 Lamborghini when it crashed six years ago.

A 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo similar to the one owned by John Spiro Fiotakis, which crashed and caught fire at Seven Mile Beach in 2019.

UPDATE: A jury verdict has been handed down in the case of Lipscombe Larder owner John Spiro Fiotakis accused of attempting by deception to acquire a financial advantage from Allianz Australia Insurance, after he allegedly lied about who was driving the sports car when it was written off on Pittwater Rd in May, 2019.

He has pleaded not guilty.

The jury unanimously handed down a guilty verdict on Thursday afternoon.

Chief Justice Chris Shanahan ordered a pre-sentence report in court before bailing Fiotakis to sentence him at a later date.

A Supreme Court jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of a Hobart businessman accused of falsely stating he was behind the wheel of his $239,000 Lamborghini when it crashed and burst into flames at Seven Mile Beach six years ago.

Cafe owner, John Spiro Fiotakis, 64, has pleaded not guilty to one count of attempting by deception to acquire a financial advantage from Allianz Australia Insurance, after he allegedly lied about who was driving the sports car when it was written off on Pittwater Rd in May, 2019.

Owner of Lipscombe Larder John Fiotakis with a selection of cheeses in his shop

After prosecution and defence lawyers delivered their closing arguments to the court yesterday, Chief Justice Chris Shanahan spent Thursday morning summing up the evidence for the jury, and providing directions guiding their deliberations.

His Honour said the essence of the Crown’s case against Mr Fiotakis was that he lied to Allianz about being the driver of the Lamborghini in an attempt to receive a $180,000 insurance payout which he was not entitled to.

Chief Justice Shanahan said the trial had been told that Allianz ultimately rejected the claim submitted by Mr Fiotakis, because they believed the driver was, in fact, Mr Fiotakis’s 24-year-old son, Spiro.

An insurance broker who arranged coverage for the Lamborghini told the trial the Allianz policy did not apply to drivers under 25 years of age, and that she had specifically informed Mr Fiotakis that Spiro would not be covered in the event of an accident.

In asking the jury to retire to consider its verdict, Chief Justice Shanahan told members they were required to return a unanimous verdict until he informed them otherwise.

Originally published as Lipscombe Larder’s John Spiro Fiotakis found guilty by jury in Lamborghini fraud case