Peter Lazaris – the former boss of infamous Surry Hills brothel A Touch of Class – has failed in his court bid to remove his ankle monitor.
Mr Lazaris was arrested and charged in 2022 after NSW Police searched his home as part of a drug investigation and allegedly found an array of official police uniforms and items – which is illegal and can be punishable with a two-year jail sentence.
He was also charged for drug possession, after police found more than 45 grams of methylamphetamine during the home search.
Mr Lazaris has pleaded not guilty to a person not being a police officer wearing or possessing a police uniform, but guilty pleas were entered for drug supply and two counts of drug possession.
Court records showed that Mr Lazaris was released after his arrest on strict bail conditions after a $1 million deposit of a Surry Hills property was used as security. Mr Lazaris was not permitted to enter the suburb of Campsie in Sydney, can’t consume alcohol, and was ordered to wear an ankle monitor, among other conditions.
Mr Lazaris’ lawyer appeared before Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, July 2, to submit a bail variation on his behalf.
Whilst the lawyer was successful in changing her client’s address, among other variations, she said Mr Lazaris’ ankle monitor contract was due to be renewed and appealed for that condition to be deleted altogether.
His lawyer said that when Mr Lazaris proposed the ankle monitoring condition, he never expected the proceedings to continue for this long. She said the renewal would cost Mr Lazaris thousands and he had “demonstrated perfect compliance” since he was granted bail.
Magistrate Price rejected the deletion of the ankle monitor condition, saying there was a “real likelihood” he could be sentenced to full-time jail “given his [criminal] history” and agreed with the prosecution that he presented a flight risk.
Mr Lazaris’ matter will return to court in September.
Source: The Daily Telegraph.
