Bail assessment ordered for Andrew Spira 10 weeks after Pineapple Funding CEO locked up on remand

The Sydney multi-millionaire and great-nephew of Ita Buttrose has been granted bail on strict conditions almost two and a half months after being locked in an ‘incredibly harsh’ Darwin jail on remand.

Andrew Spira was arrested on May 22 in the lobby of the Darwin Hilton Hotel, charged with a string of fraud, firearm and drug offences. Picture: Supplied/Facebook

A Sydney millionaire entrepreneur who spent more than 10 weeks on remand in a Darwin jail facing a string of fraud, firearm and drug charges has been granted bail.

Andrew Spira, the 24-year-old founder and chief of Pineapple Finance and great-nephew of media mogul Ita Buttrose was released from remand on Thursday under strict conditions.

The Darwin Local Court Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris made the order despite opposition from Crown prosecutors who argued Spira posed too much of a flight risk.

Spira has been behind bars on remand since May 22 for allegedly attempting to obtain a passport and leave the country – despite his passport having been surrendered to New South Wales police in relation to separate matters.

It was alleged he used fake credit card details to book a private jet from his home in Sydney to Queensland then across to the Territory on May 20, breaching his New South Wales bail conditions.

Spira was travelling with his girlfriend and executive assistant Kayla-Leigh Martin, 22.

Spira travelled by private jet to the NT with girlfriend and executive assistant Kayla-Leigh Martin.

The pair checked-in to the Darwin Hilton Hotel and allegedly made plans to travel overseas before being arrested in the lobby two days later.

A police raid of their hotel room uncovered an unlicensed firearm, a trafficable quantity of steroids and a large amount of electronic devices.

Martin was granted bail on July 10 and allowed to return to Sydney from last week, but was banned from contacting Spira.

At a bail assessment hearing on Monday it was indicated that if Spira was granted bail he would be prohibited from leaving the Territory and would reside at a Palmerston serviced apartment under ankle monitoring.

Spira stands charged with using and possessing a false document, dealing in identification information, possessing or using a firearm while unlicensed, failing to meet firearm storage requirements, possessing a trafficable quantity of schedule two drugs, obtaining financial advantage by deception, making a false statement on a travel document and giving a false statement on an Australian travel document.

Martin has been charged with dealing in identification information and obtaining financial advantage by deception.

Earlier: ‘Drug psychosis’ behind millionaire’s alleged offending, court hears

A bail assessment has been ordered for Andrew Spira more than two months after the multi-millionaire great-nephew of Ita Buttrose was locked up in Darwin jail.

At the Local Court on Monday, defence lawyer Nicholas Goodfellow said Spira’s time on remand was “a circuit breaker” from a “haze of drug-induced psychosis” and he could be trusted not to leave the Territory – despite arriving in the Top End after fleeing bail conditions ordered by a New South Wales court weeks before.

Spira’s mother Lizzie Buttrose with her aunt, media-mogul Ita Buttrose.

Spira allegedly used fake credit card details to travel to Darwin with his personal assistant where he attempted to illegally obtain an Australian passport and the pair made plans to depart the country.

“That circuit breaker is a crucial point which serves to break this pattern of self-destructive behaviour which led to him being imprisoned in Darwin, from only a few months ago living in Sydney with everything to live for,” Mr Goodfellow said.

“He has incredible intelligence and success when not using drugs.”

The founder and chief of business loan broker Pineapple Funding, Spira had been living in a $9m Vaucluse mansion and owns more than a dozen investment properties across Sydney.

The court heard the breakdown of Spira’s long-term relationship last year caused him to fall into drug use, and he was charged in New South Wales for “offences largely related to the ending of that relationship”.

“He commences a gradual use that then eventually spirals into complete misuse of ice, to the point at which Mr Spira has next to no memory of the last few months.”

Spira’s lawyer Nicholas Goodfellow said he had been misusing ice and acting in a ‘cloud of paranoia’. Picture: Supplied

Mr Goodfellow said Spira was granted bail, and successfully applied for an amendment to be able to fly to Dubai on May 5 for a business meeting.

A New South Wales local court approved the variation, Mr Goodfellow said, but when Spira arrived at the airport he “engages in the offending that results in the passport offence”.

“He does that despite having the ability to travel, he’s acting in this cloud of paranoia.”

Spira was granted bail a second time by a New South Wales court, with one of the conditions requiring him to reside at a Bondi mental health facility.

Spira has spent more than two months in a Territory jail. Picture: Supplied.

“Despite having the ability to travel domestically, he then embarks upon this process of using private jets to get to Queensland and Darwin, booking flights as he arrives in Darwin to leave the country,” Mr Goodfellow said.

Mr Goodfellow said Spira was admitted to mental health wards and experienced “drug-induced psychosis” as the various alleged offending took place, but his 10 weeks behind bars had helped “break this pattern of self-destructive behaviour”.

“He’s had a chance to get clean and to experience the incredibly harsh conditions of those on remand in Darwin prison,” Mr Goodfellow said.

Crown prosecutor Caitlin Searle opposed bail, arguing Spira was at high risk of fleeing the NT.

“For somebody who was in a drug-induced psychosis haze, Mr Spira has engaged in quite sophisticated criminal deception and offences, allegedly,” Ms Searle said.

Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris – who initially refused Spira bail on the basis he was a flight risk – ordered a supervision assessment be carried out to determine whether he could be released to serviced apartments in Palmerston with an ankle monitor.