A former CEO accused of stalking worldwide mannequin and actuality TV character Simone Holtznagel has been “vindicated” after the costs towards him had been dropped by police.
Benjamin Reeves appeared in Sydney Downing Centre Court on Thursday after pleading not responsible to stalking the Playboy mannequin with the intention of inflicting her worry of bodily or psychological hurt.
Police alleged the 59-year-old grew to become obsessive about Ms. Holtznagel and repeatedly turned up uninvited at occasions she was attending.
He was accused of repeatedly stalking the 29-year-old mannequin over almost 4 months from April to July final yr in Sydney’s CBD and jap suburbs.
The former CEO of Australian Association of Graduate Employers was as a consequence of battle the costs in a listening to on Thursday, however police withdrew the cost on the final minute.
Outside court docket, one in all Mr. Reeves’ legal professionals, Osman Samin, stated Mr. Reeves had been “vindicated” by the result.
“He’s simply extraordinarily glad that that is over now and he can transfer on along with his life,” he stated.
After the dismissal of the costs, one other of his legal professionals, Steven Boland, made an utility in court docket for police to pay Mr. Reeves’ authorized prices.
He argued they pursued the costs for a “important interval” after they had proof which pointed to his consumer’s innocence.
Ms. Holtznagel had informed police Mr. Reeves had “stared at her and made eye contact” on six events within the Sydney CBD and at Hotel Ravesis in Bondi.
“Every single arrow on the target proof factors in direction of coincidence,” Mr. Boland stated.
He stated CCTV footage of the Bondi bar uncovered “huge inaccuracies” within the mannequin’s allegations of stalking.
She informed police Mr. Reeves had walked very slowly previous the bar window the place she was sitting and had stared into the room at her.
The video, which was performed in court docket, revealed the previous CEO had walked down the road with out glancing on the window in any respect.
“I don’t assume you possibly can think about a much less felony act than coming into a pub and strolling up a staircase in case you tried,” Mr. Boland stated.
In one other allegation, the actuality TV character claimed she noticed Mr. Reeves standing “inside centimetres” of her face and watching her when she circled on the similar bar.
However, footage of that second confirmed he was additional away and didn’t interact together with her.
“The concept that he loomed up centimetres from her face is clearly unfaithful,” Mr. Boland stated.
“Her characterisation of what occurred and whether or not it might represent felony behaviour is clearly unfaithful.”
He stated the police had didn’t correctly examine the matter and unreasonably continued to prosecute the case when the proof was contradicted by the CCTV footage.
Mr. Boland slammed the stalking cost as “embarrassingly missing in goal help (and) completely incapable of succeeding”.
“You shouldn’t be capable of commit stalking accidentally,” he stated.
Magistrate Glenn Bartley agreed there had not been “satisfactory scrutiny of the CCTV” when police pursued the cost.
He stated Ms. Holtznagel’s proof was “demonstrably unreliable” and the footage was “utterly unsupportive” of her allegations.
“The incidents are too fleeting and too rare,” the Justice of the Peace stated.
“They don’t come up sufficient out of the realm of coincidence to justify prosecution.”
He ordered police to pay Mr. Reeves’ authorized prices – which totalled greater than $36,000 – as compensation for the unreasonable prosecution.
The cash might go some option to easing the ache for the previous CEO, who was compelled to depart his job when the allegations got here to gentle.
“Unfortunately there have been severe ramifications for Mr. Reeves’ employment however that will likely be handled in a separate context,” Mr. Samin stated exterior court docket.
The apprehended violence order in place to guard Ms. Holtznagel has been dismissed.
The 29-year-old has turn out to be a family identify in Australia since she was a finalist in Australia’s Next high Model in 2011.
She has appeared in campaigns for beloved manufacturers like Guess Jeans, Bras N Things, and Honey Birdette and famously modelled for Playboy within the United States.
The buxom blonde has additionally graced Australian TV screens with a stint on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! and a current gruelling effort on SAS Australia.
Her sister Madeline Holtznagel can also be a well known native character who’s courting hospitality baron Justin Hemmes, who’s presently embroiled in his personal authorized battle over the alleged wage theft at his Merivale venues.
