Greek Australian designer accused of $4m blackmail in love triangle spat

It has each the elements of an entertaining TV show: feuding owners of a successful manner label, an alleged blackmail menace for millions of dollars and a emotion triangle.

But alternatively of playing connected the small screen, the explosive play betwixt the glamorous Vlahos cousins will beryllium unveiled successful the NSW District Court.

Vicki Vlahos and her adjunct Milad Ghazi are standing trial aft pleading not blameworthy to blackmailing younger relative Danielle Vlahos for $3.8 cardinal implicit a emotion triangle affair.

The cousins co-founded the manner statement Portia & Scarlett, which has achieved unthinkable success successful Australia and overseas and was being eyed by a purchaser for millions of dollars.

About the aforesaid clip they were negotiating the merchantability of portion of their business, Danielle took a trip to Greece with Vicki’s ex-husband, the tribunal was told connected Wednesday.

Evidence will suggest the brace were having an intimate narration which caused problems betwixt the cousins, the crown authoritative said successful his opening statement.

Danielle is expected to testify Mr Ghazi told her successful September 2023 that Vicki was threatening to tell Danielle’s estranged hubby astir the matter but she would support quiescent for $3.8 million.

The sum was the quality betwixt the archetypal connection for a stock of the concern which was not accepted and a aboriginal offer, the tribunal was told.

“You request to wage maine $4.3 cardinal minus $900,000 to beryllium capable to unrecorded successful Sydney freely and without wrecking your full beingness and reputation,” the older relative allegedly told Danielle.

Danielle is expected to testify Vicki claimed to person grounds of the matter which would beryllium deleted erstwhile an statement was signed.

“You cognize this is extortion right?” she is expected to accidental she asked.

“Call it what you like,” Vicki allegedly replied.

But Vicki’s barrister Tom Hughes argued the grounds would amusement Danielle is simply a liar who hatched an “insidious plan” to summation an vantage implicit her cousin.

Danielle refused a precocious income connection and subsequent offers kept getting lower, starring to a “very hard fought commercialized dispute” betwixt the cousins, helium said.

“This is not a blackmail astatine all, but a determination made by Danielle to acceptable up Vicki, to impact police, each with a view to maximising her commercialized advantage,” Mr Hughes told the court.

Witnesses are expected to tell the tribunal that the narration betwixt Danielle and her cousin’s ex-husband was nary concealed but alternatively a “very public, indiscreet affair”, helium said.

Vicki chopped a glamorous fig arsenic she arrived astatine the courthouse successful a luxury Maserati αυτοκίνητο clutching a Chanel handbag and a tote from Lebanese decorator Zuhair Murad.

She will beryllium look to look with her relative when Danielle takes the witness container connected Thursday.

Source: AAP