Lawyer shot in driveway of Kew mansion as gunman remains on run
Embattled lawyer John Voitin has been shot in a suspected drive-by shooting outside his mansion in Kew, with anti-bikie detectives investigating the attack as the shooter remains on the run.
Police & Courts
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Lawyer John Voitin was shot in a suspected drive-by shooting outside his mansion in Kew last night.
Anti-bikie Echo Taskforce detectives are investigating the shooting outside his rental home on Valentine Ave about 6.30pm on Tuesday.
His former business, Stanton Grant Legal, was raided by Echo detectives in 2018 as part of a money-laundering probe involving the Comachero outlaw motorcycle gang.
The Herald Sun understands Voitin was shot twice in the legs and that the shooting is being treated as targeted.
He was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
“It’s probably the result of some bad dealings. People don’t just go around randomly shooting people in the leg,” a police source said.
Anti-bikie detectives have had extensive dealings with Voitin over the years.
Mr Voitin was charged with 171 counts of professional misconduct for mixing trust and non-trust funds at his former firm, Voitin Lawyers, in 2015.
He pleaded guilty to 57 of the charges and was ordered to pay $17,000 in costs to the Victorian Legal Services Commission.
Court documents show he was also banned from receiving trust monies for a period of six months.
Voitin is set stand trial in the County Court next year for allegedly falsifying accounting records.
The charges reportedly relate to accounting documents for a brothel owner.
Voitin was charged with falsifying an account required for accounting and falsifying a record required for account.
He was also charged with a bail-related offence but it was struck out.
The seven-day trial is scheduled for May 24 next year.
Voitin was also being pursued over a multi-million dollar debt in the Supreme Court last year.
The debts reportedly arose from failed dealings at his former law firm and he was facing significant bankruptcy.
Last December his multimillion dollar ‘Seabird’ mansion was sold in the Mornington Peninsula.
The four-bedroom, architect-designed home featured a limestone open fireplace, sunroom and impressive entertainment pavilion with a tennis court.
Months earlier his home on the Bellarine Peninusla was torched in a suspicious blaze.
The property in Swan Bay was listed as being owned by his wife Clare Voitin.
Swan Bay Farms was a joint farming and educational venue run by the Voitins and had ambitions to offer farm tours, harvest events, luxury glamping and fundraising events before the July fire.
In 2018 Mr Voitin’s family home in Deepdene was also raided by anti-gang detectives.
The multi-million dollar five-bedroom mansion on Terry St was extensively damaged the day before it was set to be auctioned.
The Herald Sun understands the auction was being conducted by a bank and that the home was subsequently withdrawn.
Multiple neighbours said the man’s car had been “car bombed” outside his Kew property in November 2019.
The torching of the vehicle caused a huge fire and subsequent damage to the home, with neighbours reportedly witnessing flames 3m high.
Last night, neighbours said they heard two gunshots.
“We heard two loud bangs,” one neighbour said.
“We didn’t venture out. You always think it can’t be gunshots, next thing police cars were here.
“It was like bang, bang, that was it.
“Police arrived very quickly.”
The 4-bedroom property was sold last January for $2.75 million, according to real estate reports.
It is understood the Voitin family have three school aged sons who attend a nearby exclusive private school.
No one answered the door today and the blinds were shut.
A car was parked in the driveway.
Three bullet holes were seen in the garage.
Neighbours said the family keep to themselves.
“It’s such a quiet little street, a little gully, it’s jaw dropping to think this has happened,” one shocked neighbour said.
“You don’t expect that sort of thing to happen in our street.”
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