A health care provider from Sydney’s jap suburbs who threatened a lady with an axe and punched her is dealing with a recent authorized battle after allegedly utilizing a walkie talkie to proceed to speak to her.
Dr John Balafas appeared in Sydney Downing Centre on Wednesday by way of audiovisual hyperlink from jail to make a bid for bail after being arrested for breaching the situations of an apprehended violence order.
The order was imposed to guard a lady who was assaulted and intimidated by the physician in 2021.
On March 14, the 47-year-old medical skilled pleaded responsible to intimidating the lady by approaching her with an axe, which he slammed down on a desk between them, courtroom paperwork reveal.
According to the paperwork, he grabbed on the girl’s telephone, which she was utilizing to movie the incident, and pushed her within the arm. He then lunged at her and broke a glass, which shattered on her legs.
The Bondi native was “highly intoxicated” on the time, based on the police information.
Nine months later, courtroom paperwork present he was drunk once more when he hit the lady with a “big punch” to her arm and grabbed it. Dr Balafas has additionally pleaded responsible to punching the lady.
On Wednesday, his lawyer, Michael Hempsall, informed the courtroom his consumer “was suffering from significant substance abuse issues and mental health concerns” on the time of the assaults.
An apprehended violence order was put in place in February 2022 to guard the lady from Dr Balafas and it forbade him from contacting or approaching her.
The Bondi native swapped his scrubs for jail greens in October final 12 months when he was arrested for allegedly breaching the situations of the AVO a number of occasions.
Police allege the physician tried to keep away from police detection by utilizing surreptitious means equivalent to walkie talkies and encrypted messaging platforms to speak with the lady.
Dr Balafas spoke to the lady as a lot as ten occasions a day when it was prohibited by the courtroom orders, based on police allegations.
He was allegedly threatening in a number of the conversations, together with one by which the courtroom heard he informed the lady he wished her mom would die.
Police declare the 42-year-old additionally drove the lady round in his automobile in direct contravention of the courtroom orders to not method her.
He has pleaded responsible to intimidation, widespread assault, and assault occasioning precise bodily hurt.
Dr Balafas has pleaded not responsible to 9 expenses of contravening an apprehended violence order and one cost of intimidation.
Mr Hempsall informed the courtroom the contact between the physician and the lady was “mutual” and the lady was “persistently approaching him”.
Magistrate Juliana Crofts argued there was no courtroom order imposed on the lady, solely Dr Balafas.
“Your client is an educated man. He knows what measures need to be taken,” she informed Mr Hempsall.
She famous the physician allegedly took elaborate measures to make sure he might communicate to the lady with out police being notified.
“I get concerned when I read things about radios being used in contravention of court orders,” the Justice of the Peace stated.
The prosecution informed the courtroom there was an “unacceptable risk” the 47-year-old would discover inventive methods to breach the AVO situations once more and intrude with an upcoming listening to.
“After 140 days in jail, you might think he’s learned his lesson,” Mr Hempsall stated.
Magistrate Crofts decided the danger could possibly be mitigated with strict bail situations which prohibit contacting the lady.
Dr Balafas was additionally ordered to report back to police day by day, abstain from alcohol or medication, and never use any encrypted units.
He will return to courtroom later this month to battle ten expenses in a listening to.
