Palm tree that led to former Neighbours star Lachlan Daddo being sued

The real reason behind an ugly legal row involving former Neighbours heartthrob Lachlan Daddo has been revealed.

A former Australian TV star and his wife have won a bitter legal battle to keep three palm trees in the yard of their luxurious Sydney home after neighbours complained they obstructed ocean views.

Lachlan and Karina Daddo and were sued in the NSW Land and Environment Court by neighbours Stuart and Leanne Holdsworth, who claimed the former Neighbours star and his wife formed a “hedge” on their Newport property.

Both couples faced court unrepresented in late May for a hearing, where the Holdsworths told the court they had owned their property since 2005.

Mr Holdsworth told the court surfing was important to his family, but the “iconic views to Newport Beach and Peak surf break” were being obstructed by palm trees in the home across the road, which belongs to the Daddos.

Lachlan Daddo and wife Karina Brown faced court in May. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

He also claimed the three palms form the “hedge” and asked the former actor couple to “remove or prune” the palms and Macadamia tree.

A palm tree located beside the front driveway was 10 to 12 metres tall, while the two in the backyard were five metres tall, the court heard.

Mr Daddo agreed to prune the macadamia tree at least twice in 2016 and again in 2021 to enhance Mr Holdsworth’s water views, but denied removing the palms.

As a result, the couple were taken to court.

Lachlan Daddo now works in real estate.

In his judgment, Acting Commissioner John Douglas, who himself is an arborist, claimed the trees could not form a hedge as the front tree was planted up to 20 years ago and away from the back palms.

He found the obstruction to be minor and slammed the Holdsworths for bringing the case to court, saying it was “doomed to fail” and they showed a sense of “entitlement” in doing so.

“Mr and Mrs Holdsworth were quite unprepared to prosecute their claim and appeared entirely unfamiliar with the requirements of the Act,” Acting Commissioner Douglas said.

“Had they been more conscientious, they may have appreciated that their case was doomed to fail, and thus not wasted their neighbours’ time.”

“Mr and Mrs Holdsworth displayed an unusual sense of entitlement to compel their neighbours to prune their trees, apparently based on some nebulous notion that it was ‘unneighbourly’ for them to do otherwise.”

Lachlan Daddo spent much of the 1990s and early 2000s on Australian television, with a role on Neighbours.

Mr Daddo spent much of the 1990s and early 2000s on Australian television alongside two of his older brothers, Cameron and Andrew.

He made his debut on ABC’s “Countdown Revolution” before taking on a role on Neighbours.

Mr Daddo went on to host popular travel show Getaway in the mid 1990s, but now works as a real estate agent on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

His wife Karina Daddo was also an actor and television presenter.