Stephen Pierrot: The Light Side Clinic Southport owner charged with fraud worth $100,000-plus

The owner of a Southport psychology clinic has been charged with 18 dishonesty offences as part of an allegedly fraudulent scheme targeting the owner of a rival outfit. Here’s what we know.

The Proxima health hub at Frazer St, Southport, which houses Navigating Health, whose co-owner was allegedly defrauded of $100,000-plus. Picture: Evans Long

The owner of a Southport psychology clinic has been charged with 18 dishonesty offences as part of an allegedly fraudulent scheme targeting the owner of a rival outfit, which police claim netted the charged man more than $100,000.

Surfers Paradise man Stephen William Pierrot, 41, whose occupation is listed in court documents as miner, was charged on February 12 with nine counts of forgery, eight counts of uttering a forged document, and fraud of a value greater than $100,000.

His charges were mentioned in Southport Magistrates Court for the first time on Tuesday.

Mr Pierrot, who was on bail, did not appear personally, and entered no pleas.

His lawyer sought an adjournment for the parties to conference.

The charges were adjourned to March 18.

According to court documents, Mr Pierrot, the owner of The Light Side Clinic at Tweed St, Southport, allegedly forged a series of trade invoices and other material between July and September last year, and issued them to Ella van de Velde Fidock, who co-owns Navigating Health, a holistic health centre based at Lumina’s $80m Proxima hub on Frazer St.

The Light Side Clinic at Tweed St, Southport. Picture: The Light Side Clinic

Documents allegedly forged by Mr Pierrot include a City of Gold Coast development application invoice, and invoices for bills to companies including Reece, Molendinar’s Coastwide Kitchens, Professional Certification Group, On-Point Commercial Projects, Complete Doors Sydney, and Ashmore’s Titan Concrete Cutting.

Police allege that as a result of the forged and uttered documents, Ms van de Velde Fidock was defrauded of $108,472.

Navigating Health co-owner and nurse practitioner Ella van de Velde Fidock. Picture: Navigating Health

Mr Pierrot’s wife, Dr Rebecca Pierrot, is employed as a consultant psychiatrist at the clinic her charged husband owns.

There is no suggestion she was aware of the alleged conduct that led to her husband being charged. She has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Both clinics are relative newcomers on the Gold Coast health scene: The Light Side Clinic was registered as a company on December 18, 2023, while Navigating Health was registered almost exactly one year earlier, on December 8, 2022, according to corporate records.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Mr Pierrot’s age as 44.

Originally published as Stephen Pierrot: The Light Side Clinic Southport owner charged with fraud worth $100,000-plus