Billionaire Adrian Portelli is set to take centre stage on Tuesday as he fronts court again over ‘hoon’ allegations that have been haunting him for more than four years.
Portelli, who recently sparked outrage over his treatment of a female journalist, is scheduled to appear before the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court in Melbourne’s west.
The 36-year old is accused of hooning just before Christmas of 2020, with police hitting him with a charge each of careless driving, failing to have proper control of a vehicle and driving in a manner causing a vehicle to lose traction.
Daily Mail Australia first revealed the charges in May 2023, when his barrister attempted to suppress details of the allegations from the public.
Portelli can expect a large media presence in and outside of the court on Tuesday for his latest appearance in the long running saga.
In January, Portelli threw a public tantrum over being labelled ‘Lambo Guy’ – a nickname given to him after his arrival in a bright yellow Lamborghini Murciélago on the 2022 season of television’s The Block.
Portelli had objected to the nickname appearing in the headline of a news article penned by respected Melbourne journalist Fiona Byrne.
Incensed by the tag, Portelli directed his more than 460,000 Instagram followers to bully the reporter, sparking a disturbing pile-on by his loyal online trolls.
Adrian Portelli with a Lamborghini. Just don’t call him ‘Lambo Guy’ if you’re a female journalist
Byrne had simply reported the billionaire had offered $50,000 to the first journalist to use his preferred new nickname ‘McLaren Guy’ on a TV broadcast.
His post saw Byrne bit by a relentless barrage of vicious comments attacking everything about her, from her weight and body parts to her appearance.
Portelli ultimately cost Nine’s Today sports reporter Alex Cullen his job after he took up the offer to call the billionaire by his preferred McLaren Guy nickname
He later removed his ‘call-to-arms’ against Byrne – but shortly after, posted a photo of himself gushing over the $4.3million Lamborghini speedboat he imported from Italy.
He made headlines in motorsport last weekend when his company took over naming rights of #34 Ford Mustang, formerly sponsored by Valvoline, in the Supercar series.
On Tuesday, prosecutors aim to convince Magistrate Michael McNamara Portelli is guilty of the hooning charges.
Police allege Portelli carelessly drove his grey Mercedes Benz C63 coupe through a roundabout at Diggers Rest, in Melbourne’s west.
Portelli hit Instagram to have a sook during a previous appearance at court over hooning allegations (his Instagram post is pictured)
Portelli went to war with reporter Fiona Byrne (pictured) after a headline on her story referred to him as Lambo Guy
Portelli called on his followers to attack Byrne on social media
In December, the court heard Portelli was intercepted near the Silk Drive and Diggers Rest-Coimadai Rd intersection and his Mercedes was impounded on the spot.
Portelli was charged on January 30, 2021, more than a month after the alleged hoon offence.
A Victoria Police Highway Patrol cop told the court he said ‘f***ing oath’ when his partner asked if he thought they witnessed Portelli’s luxury car lose traction.
Lawyers for Portelli submitted there was ‘no way’ police could make that assertion from 255m away.
Portelli’s barrister Penny Marcou attempted to discredit the police witness’s evidence.
Ms Marcou suggested the officer ‘created a memory’ because Portelli was ‘well known in the community’.
She asked how he could remember the incident after four years and ‘several hundred police intercepts later’.
‘It was quite distinctive incident,’ the officer told the court.
Adrian Portelli during a stunt in December in Sydney that saw him give away $150,000 worth of Coles vouchers
Adrian Portelli recently hit Instagram to brag about the $4.3million Lamborghini speedboat he had imported.
Adrian Portelli with his preferred car brand and nickname
Portelli is also facing a legal war on a second front after South Australia’s Consumer and Business Services launched an investigation into the operations of the Melbourne businessman’s lottery business in September last year.
The SA government department confirmed it was prosecuting Portelli and Xclusive Tech Pty Ltd, which trades as LMCT+ just one day after Portelli handed out $150,000 worth of Coles vouchers to struggling western Sydney residents to buy groceries.
Portelli faces nine counts of conducting/assisting in the conduct of an unlawful lottery, and the company faces ten counts of the same charge, the courts confirmed.
If convicted on all charges, Portelli could face a maximum penalty of $190,000. That case is due back at South Australian Magistrates Court later this week on March 6.
Portelli has an estimated net worth of more than $1billion – and he made much of his fortune through LMCT+, a subscription based lottery.
