Lambo Guy Adrian Portelli fronts Vic court on hoon charges days after fallout with SA authorities
Billionaire Adrian Portelli has accused prosecutors of conducting a ‘trial by ambush’ while fronting a Victorian court on longstanding hoon charges.
Police & Courts
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Billionaire Adrian Portelli has accused prosecutors of conducting a “trial by ambush” as he fights hoon charges in court.
Mr Portelli, 35, known as “Lambo Guy” made famous for his purchases on The Block, was charged with three driving offences including careless driving after he allegedly drifted on a roundabout on License Road in Diggers Rest nearly four years ago.
Wearing all black, the low-key dressed Mr Portelli sat in the front row of Sunshine Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to fight the charges.
The court heard prosecutors were relying on the eyewitness testimony of two highway patrol officers who saw the alleged hooning and an “implied admission” captured on body-worn footage after he was pulled over.
But Mr Portelli’s lawyer, Penny Marcou, said she only became aware the alleged admission would be relied on by prosecutors shortly before the hearing, as she accused them of conducting “trial by ambush”.
She also claimed the evidence of a collision reconstruction expert would show the officers, who were about 200 metres away from the alleged incident, were not in a position to see what they claimed to have seen.
The court heard Leading Senior Constables Christopher Ford and Glen Hutton from Melton Highway Patrol were on general duties when they spotted Mr Portelli’s grey Mercedes C63 coupe enter the roundabout at high speed and drift about 4.20pm on December 22, 2020.
In body-worn camera footage played to court, Constable Hutton tells his colleague the vehicle appeared to have lost traction.
“F--king oath,” Constable Ford replied.
Minutes later, police pulled Mr Portelli over and told him it was a “bad day to do circle work”.
“Oh mate, tell me about it,” Mr Portelli laughed in reply.
Prosecutor Alex Turner said his reply was an “implied admission” and he volunteered it without being asked a question.
Both officers gave evidence on Tuesday, maintaining Mr Portelli had deliberately drifted into the roundabout.
There were several heated exchanges during cross-examination as Ms Marcou suggested the officers exaggerated their evidence and that they could not have seen the Mercedes lose traction through the rain and from their position on the other side of a paddock.
“It’s not an assertion, it’s what I saw,” Constable Hutton replied.
The defence lawyer accused Constable Hutton of having an “unconscious bias” towards Mr Portelli, believing he was a hoon because he was driving in a “very nice car” in Diggers Rest.
“Incorrect,” he replied.
Earlier, she questioned if it was acceptable for Constable Ford to say “f--king oath” while on patrol, which he defended as “colloquial language” said in the privacy of a patrol vehicle.
Mr Portelli, who has an estimated net worth of $1.3bn, made his fortune through his rewards club company LMCT+ which offers subscribers access to giveaways with prizes including luxury homes, cars and boats.
He is facing other legal troubles after it was last week revealed he had been charged with conducting an unlawful lottery in South Australia.
Mr Portelli declined to comment as he left court.
The hearing will continue Wednesday.
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