Andrew Spira: Ita Buttrose’s great nephew breaches AVO protecting ex-fiance

A troubled multi-millionaire and relative of Ita Buttrose is locked up in a Darwin jail — a world away from his glitzy Sydney mansion.

A troubled multi-millionaire and relative of media mogul Ita Buttrose has added to his raft of legal troubles by twice breaching an apprehended violence order against his ex-fiance.

Andrew Spira is the son of Ita’s niece, former Sydney socialite Lizzie Buttrose. He’s also the founder of successful business loan company Pineapple Funding and co-owner of a property portfolio estimated to be upwards of $15m.

But the 24-year-old is currently a world away from his mansion in Sydney’s glitzy eastern suburbs, locked up on remand in a Darwin jail.

That’s over allegations he tried to illegally leave the country, which followed a similar alleged attempt in NSW, due to what a court heard was linked to a relapse of drug use.

Julia Maguire and Andrew Spira were together for seven years. Picture: John Appleyard

Now, Spira has yet another matter before the courts.

He has pleaded guilty at Waverley Local Court to two counts of contravening an AVO against his former partner, Julia Maguire.

Spira’s solicitor Samir Karnib told the court on Monday he will seek for the charges to be dealt with on mental health grounds when they return to court in eight weeks.

The couple is understood to have recently split after seven years and buying several expensive properties together.

Spira has shared his struggles with drug use in court.

Ms Maguire is the founder and executive director of public relations firm, The Capital Network.

Spira’s recent AVO breach is the latest legal hiccup for the former high-flying businessman, who told a Darwin Court he has relapsed into valium use.

On May 6, the 24-year-old allegedly used a fraudulent United Kingdom passport and false name to travel overseas for a business deal after becoming “deluded” into thinking an airline was “out to get him”, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Sutherland Local Court heard Spira was busted with the fake passport at Sydney Airport after buying a ticket to Hong Kong.

Spira and Maguire built a property empire together. Picture: John Appleyard

His former lawyer Pawel Kulisiewicz told the court his client had initially intended to go on a legal business trip to Dubai. Upon discovering he was double booked, he allegedly had a drug-induced “delusional belief” the airline was out to get him which led to his “poor decision”.

Court records seen by news.com.au show Spira was granted bail to attend a mental health clinic after he was charged with making a false foreign travel document and using false identity information to obtain an air ticket.

He was ordered to surrender his passport to police and not to apply for another passport, as well as stay away from international airports.

The couple recently listed their five-bedroom Vaucluse abode with a $9 million guide.

A $200,000 surety was offered up, to be forfeited if he breached bail conditions.

A few weeks later, Spira was allegedly caught again trying to leave the country with fraudulent documents, this time being false credit card details.

Police allege Spira flew to Darwin with a staff member by private jet on May 20. He is accused of making illegal plans to leave the country before police executed a search warrant at a hotel room on May 22, seizing an unlicensed firearm, a trafficable quantity of steroids and a string of electronic devices.

Andrew Spira in Antibes, France, 2022. Source: Facebook

According to court records seen by news.com.au, Spira was charged with using and possessing false documents, dealing in ID information, obtaining financial advantage by deception, possessing a traffickable quantity of schedule two drugs, making false statements on travel documents, giving false statements on Australian travel documents, possessing or using a firearm while unlicensed and failing to meet storage requirements.

He told Darwin Local Court his “error of judgment was completely flawed due to drugs,” according to the Saturday Telegraph.

Andrew Spira with mother Lizzie Buttrose. Source: Facebook

The court heard he first used drugs at 14 and managed to get clean at 17 but recently relapsed amid a break-up with Ms Maguire.

Despite his desperate plea to be released on bail, offering up his multimillion-dollar empire and telling the court he would be “at high risk of death” if he was kept in the NT prison system on remand, bail was refused.

Spira remains in custody at the Darwin Correctional Centre and will return to court on July 31 over his Northern Territory allegations.

His false passport charges in NSW will next be heard in at Downing Centre Local Court on August 1.

He is yet to enter pleas on either matters.

The AVO charges will next be heard at Waverley Local Court on September 1, when he is required to attend via audiovisual link.

Outside court on Monday, Mr Karnib told news.com.au he is “working through all the matters” Spira faces but could not comment further.