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‘C u in 15’: Solicitor threatens barrister, witness with violence
Angered by a former barrister’s decision to give evidence against him in a fight over allegedly unpaid legal fees, a Victorian solicitor sent expletive-laden text messages that threatened violence.
Naomi Neilson
In eight text messages sent in July 2020, Patrick Lennon asked whether former barrister Dimitrios Podaridis was at his mum’s house, told him “not to go anywhere”, and said he would arrive “in 15”.
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The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) said Lennon sent the text messages after learning Podaridis was going to give evidence on behalf of a woman who allegedly failed to pay $500,000 in legal fees to Lennon’s firm, trading as Lennon Mazzeo Lawyers.
Senior member Reynah Tang found Lennon engaged in professional misconduct and made orders for a further hearing to allow him the opportunity to respond to the Victorian Legal Services Board’s foreshadowed application to have his name struck from the roll.
“I am comfortably satisfied and find that the text messages were threats made by Lennon to a witness in the course of legal practice and that, by sending the texts, Lennon sought to have Podaridis refrain from giving evidence,” Tang said in written reasons.
The trial Podaridis was expected to give evidence before concerned the $500,000 Maria Lantouris – Podaridis’ cousin – agreed to pay Lennon Mazzeo Lawyers on behalf of her brother, Dr Nicholas Sevdalis, who had allegedly racked up an $800,000 legal bill.
Podaridis was involved in brokering a deal between Sevdalis and the law firm and had allegedly acted as an agent.
Lennon believed Podaridis became “disenchanted” with the Sevdalis family and was “very much part of the plaintiffs’ camp”, and originally intended to call him to give evidence on the firm’s behalf. After Lennon’s solicitor, Derek Begg, proofed him, they decided against it.
Just before the text messages were sent, Lennon was given an outline of the evidence Podaridis intended to give on his cousin’s behalf and became “furious” because he should have “told the truth”.
In response to one of the earlier text messages, Podaridis told Lennon not to threaten him and added: “Clearly you have a dumb arse lawyer who elected not to call. I just told the truth.”
The Legal Services Board also relied on text messages Lennon sent to Nick Bochrinis, a friend of the Sevdalis family, concerning whether Podaridis was at his mum’s house and to tell him to “stay there”.
In a letter read by the tribunal, Lennon said it was “not his intention to cause Podaridis to change his evidence”.
More to come.
Naomi Neilson
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
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