George Lavrentiadis has pleaded guilty to destroying a historic coastal shack, built in 1934, which stood on the Fleurieu Peninsula’s Heysen Trail and had been maintained by the same South Australian family for nearly 60 years.
According to The Advertiser, the modest ‘salmon shack’ was demolished on 22 June 2022, sparking a high-profile dispute involving SA grandfather Barry Robertson and Miami-based celebrity realtor Julian Galbraith Johnston.
Lavrentiadis, 51, was initially arrested in February 2023 and pleaded not guilty, but later changed his plea to guilty on two counts of property damage during a closed pre-trial hearing. He now faces up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing submissions expected next week.
Photographic evidence presented by police linked Lavrentiadis to the demolition site, including images of a man trespassing at a nearby shack and a Nissan Navara allegedly belonging to him, parked with a distinctive toolbox visible.
Mr Johnston, who owns an adjacent $900,000 block and planned to build a $2 million home, has denied any involvement and has not been charged.
Mr Robertson, whose family had occupied the shack since 1964, will deliver a victim impact statement as the court prepares to hear Lavrentiadis’ motive.
Source: The Advertiser
